Exercise-based Rehabilitation to Treat Persistent Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) (EX-CIPN)

EX-CIPN: An Exercise-based Rehabilitation Intervention to Treat Persistent Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the EX-CIPN exercise-based intervention is feasible, acceptable, and safe in participants with persistent chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). It will also give insight on the effectiveness of the exercise intervention in treating CIPN symptoms. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is EX-CIPN safe, acceptable, and feasible in cancer survivors experiencing persistent CIPN?
• Are the study design and methods feasible (recruitment and retention rates, feasibility of data collection and procedures)?

Researchers will provide all participants with the exercise-based intervention.

Participants will:

• Complete assessments at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3-months post-intervention
• Complete a 10-week remote, individualized exercise program
• Receive health coaching calls on weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 of the intervention
• Wear a FitBit throughout the study to track physical activity and promote behaviour change

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: EX-CIPN

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 2N2
      • ELLICSR: Health Wellness and Cancer Survivorship Centre

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Received a diagnosis of any cancer and treated with curative intent (no minimum dose) including Stage 3 & 4 gynecologic malignancies, treated in the platinum-sensitive setting
• Are > 6 months post-completion of chemotherapy (ie no other chemotherapeutic agents since completing of the chemotherapy regimen)
• Report > Grade 1 on the Patient Reported NCI Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 grading scale (numbness and tingling severity item) and neuropathic pain >3 on the Neuropathic Pain 4 (DN4) (interview) (0-7)
• The presence of peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy (following onset of chemotherapy), as established via clinical assessment
• May be on maintenance oncologic therapies (ie endocrine therapy, Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors) not known to cause neuropathy
• No current plans for chemotherapy in the next 6 months
• Currently engaging in < 90min per week of planned moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
• Independent with ambulation and transfers with or without ambulatory assistance (EGOG 0-2)
• Able to communicate sufficiently in English to complete intervention, questionnaires, and consent
• Willing to participate in the intervention and attend in-person physical assessments
• Have access to and are able to operate videoconferencing.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known neurological conditions influencing cognition and preventing safe or appropriate engagement with self-management and exercise recommendations
• Pre-existing neuropathy prior to the start of chemotherapy
• Are currently enrolled in other cancer rehabilitation or exercise-based programs/interventions.
• Are currently taking ado-trastuzumab emtansine (TDM1) (ex. Kadcyla)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: EX-CIPN Exercise- Based intervention; This arm is provided with an intervention that includes an individualized exercise program, remote monitoring, and remote person-to-person clinical support.

Behavioral: EX-CIPN; The 10-week intervention includes: Individualized Exercise Program: Each participant will receive an individualized progressive exercise program that includes cardiovascular and strength training as well as balance and desensitization exercises and will be adjusted to the needs of the patient. Remote Monitoring: Fitbit™ devices will be used to monitor patients' physical activity over the duration of the program. Fitness trackers can promote behaviour change and allows for self-monitoring and feedback to the participant. Remote Person-to-Person Clinical Support: Participants will have scheduled remote check-ins and health coaching sessions with their assigned RKin over Microsoft Teams (MSTeams) on weeks 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 of the intervention. During these calls, the RKin will review, adapt, and progress the exercise program as needed, discuss and develop goals for the following week, and identify potential barriers and solutions in achieving their goals.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Accrual Rate	Assessed based on CONSORT criteria through a screening log that tracks data collected of all screened patients. Eligibility screening will be performed to identify eligible consented and eligible non-recruited individuals with non-recruitment reasons documented. Number of participants consented and enrolled will be tracked each month.	Throughout study completion, up to 24 weeks.
Retention Rates	Retention rates will be calculated as the proportion of participants that attend each assessment time point. The investigators will also examine rates of complete and missing data.	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
Adherence	Assessed through health coaching call attendance, Fitbit™ usage, and self-report completion of weekly exercise plan	Through study completion, up to 24 weeks.
Intervention Safety	All adverse events will be scored on the CTCAE version 5.0 and documented during weekly appointments and at follow-up assessments with the Registered Kinesiologist (RKin). Assessment, tests, and all exercises will be stopped at any time if any pain or discomfort is experienced.	Through study completion, up to 24 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity	Measured using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS). Scored on a 1-10 scale, 1 being no pain and 10 being worst pain imaginable.	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
CIPN Symptoms	Measured using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (EORTC CIPN-20) questionnaire. Results are scored on a scale between 20-80 with higher scores meaning worse outcomes.	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
CIPN-related Disability	Measured using the Rasch-built Overall Disability Scale for patients with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy CIPN-RODS. Results are scored on a scale between 0-56 with lower scores meaning worse outcomes.	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
Strength (Upper Body)	Measured via handgrip dynamometry or grip strength test (GST).	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
Strength (Lower Body)	Measured by a 30-second sit to stand test (30-s STS).	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
Balance	Measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) Balance Test. The SPPB balance test provides a score from 0 to 4 with lower scores meaning worse outcomes.	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
Gait Speed	Measured using the Four-Metre Gait Speed Test.	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)
Aerobic Functional Capacity	Measured using a 6-minute walk test (6MWT).	Baseline, post-intervention (10 weeks), 3-months post-intervention (20-24 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Health Network, Toronto
• Collaborators: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); Cancer Research Society

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 25, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 2, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 6, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): May 8, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 11, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Peripheral Neuropathy; Cancer Rehabilitation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 23-5839

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No