Physiatry-Led Cancer Prehabilitation During Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy to Improve Function in Stage III-IVA Gynecologic Cancer Patients

May 19, 2026 updated by: City of Hope Medical Center

Physiatry-Led Prehabilitation During Neoadjuvant Systemic Treatment Before Surgery for Advanced Gynecological Cancer: A Pilot Feasibility Study

This clinical trial studies whether physiatry-led cancer prehabilitation can be used during systemic treatment before surgery (neoadjuvant systemic treatment [NST]) to improve function in stage III-IVA gynecologic cancer patients. Treatment of gynecologic cancers presents significant challenges to physical and mental health and patients often experience many challenges following treatment including sleep disturbance, extreme tiredness, sexual dysfunction, and bowel and urinary problems. Patients who have low functioning prior to surgery often have worse outcomes following surgery; however, services to support functional shortages often start after surgery. Physiatry-led cancer prehabilitation is a strategy aimed at reducing post-treatment functional challenges by improving physical and mental function before treatment. It involves physiatry, which is a medical specialty focused on function. Physiatry involvement in prehabilitation allows for the evaluation and management of co-existing conditions, medical supervision, and the coordination of complex plans involving multiple teams. Using physiatry-led cancer prehabilitation during NST may be an effective way to improve function in stage III-IVA gynecologic cancer patients.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Determine feasibility based on adherence (> 70%) across the key components-exercise (aerobic and resistance), nutrition, and mind/spirit practice-in > 70% of enrolled patients for the 28-day period immediately prior to surgery.

II. Evaluate feasibility via enrollment rate > 50% of eligible patients.

SECONDARY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate physical measures: Six Minute Walk Test, Duke Activity Status Index, 30-second Sit to Stand, Short Physical Performance Battery, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Cancer Function Brief Three Domains (3D) Profile, and body composition.

II. Assess exercise behavior measures: Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, self-reported exercise activity and future intent, Self-Efficacy for Home Exercise Programs.

III. Evaluate malnutrition risk with Malnutrition Screening Tool. IV. Assess psychological and spiritual distress with relevant measures within the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale- Financial and Spiritual Distress (ESAS-FS) and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L).

V. Evaluate symptom burden with ESAS-FS and health-related quality of life with EQ-5D-5L.

EXPLORATORY OBJECTIVES:

I. Evaluate the impact of the tailored prehabilitation program on disease outcomes as measured by Relative Dose Intensity, pathologic complete response, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, and cancer antigen 125 (CA-125).

II. Evaluate the impact of the tailored prehabilitation program on cancer treatment timing by examining time from diagnosis to surgery, time from last chemotherapy cycle to surgery, time from surgery to adjuvant treatment, hospitalizations and length of stay.

III. Evaluate the impact of the tailored prehabilitation program on cancer treatment complications, measured by the incidence of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [CTCAE] 5.0) and 30-day readmission rate.

IV. Identify future program improvements via a participant feedback survey and/or interview, clinician feedback survey and/or interview, reasons for non-participation, challenges to intervention adherence, and days to consult completion.

V. Document the utilization of multidisciplinary specialty services.

OUTLINE:

Patients attend a cancer physiatry consultation over 1 hour and receive an introduction to the home-based program, a starter prescription, and written prehabilitation education materials before the start of cycle 2 of NST. Patients then follow the provided starter prescription and attempt to meet aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, nutrition, and psychospiritual goals at home during and while off NST in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Patients also attend additional cancer physiatry consultation follow-ups at 28 days and at 28 days after surgery. Additionally, patients receive resistance bands, sources for nutritional guidance, and practical tips and resources on study and may also receive tailored multidisciplinary referrals as needed.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

25

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Duarte, California, United States, 91010
        • City of Hope Medical Center
        • Contact:
      • Irvine, California, United States, 92618
        • City of Hope at Irvine Lennar
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Jessica Cheng

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • PATIENT: Documented informed consent of the participant
  • PATIENT: Willingness to comply with a physiatry consultation, start a tailored training program, and follow-up assessments
  • PATIENT: Age: ≥ 18 years
  • PATIENT: Able to read and write in English
  • PATIENT: A diagnosis of stage III-IVA gynecologic cancer planned for NST
  • PATIENT: Plan to start NST at City of Hope Orange County
  • HEALTHCARE TEAM: Documented informed consent of the participant
  • HEALTHCARE TEAM: Willingness to complete the Healthcare Worker Survey
  • HEALTHCARE TEAM: ≥ 18 years old
  • HEALTHCARE TEAM: Physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, medical assistants, rehabilitation therapists, social workers, dietitians, mental health professionals, and other clinical staff who interact with study participants in the course of routine care

Exclusion Criteria:

  • PATIENT: Current or planned cancer treatment for a second cancer
  • PATIENT: Clinically significant uncontrolled illness limiting participation with the research intervention and assessments
  • PATIENT: Stage IVB cancer with distant metastases
  • PATIENT: Other active malignancy
  • PATIENT: Pregnant or breastfeeding
  • PATIENT: Any other condition that would, in the Investigator's judgment, contraindicate the patient's participation in the clinical study due to safety concerns with clinical study procedures
  • PATIENT: Meeting or exceeding exercise guidelines over the last one month based on the responses from the Godin-Shephard Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ)
  • PATIENT: Started second cycle before the physiatry consult
  • PATIENT: Inability to independently follow instructions for study assessments for any reason such as mental incapacitation or significant emotional or psychological disorder that, in the opinion of the investigators, precludes study entry. (These patients may not be able to cooperate with the prehabilitation interventions or with the data collection process.)
  • PATIENT: Unable to independently answer questionnaires in English
  • HEALTHCARE TEAM: Healthcare workers who do not interact with study participants and therefore cannot provide relevant feedback

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Supportive care (physiatry-led prehabilitation)
Patients attend a cancer physiatry consultation over 1 hour and receive an introduction to the home-based program, a starter prescription, and written prehabilitation education materials before the start of cycle 2 of NST. Patients then follow the provided starter prescription and attempt to meet aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, nutrition, and psychospiritual goals at home during and while off NST in the absence of unacceptable toxicity. Patients also attend additional cancer physiatry consultation follow-ups at 28 days and at 28 days after surgery. Additionally, patients receive resistance bands, sources for nutritional guidance, and practical tips and resources on study and may also receive tailored multidisciplinary referrals as needed.
Other: Survey Administration
Ancillary studies
Other: Interview
Ancillary studies
Other: Educational Intervention
Receive written prehabilitation education materials
Other Names:
  • Education for Intervention
  • Intervention by Education
  • Intervention through Education
  • Intervention, Educational
Other: Goal Setting
Follow and meet prehabilitation goals
Other: Referral
Receive tailored multidisciplinary referrals
Other Names:
  • Referred
Procedure: Rehabilitation
Attend cancer physiatry consultation
Other Names:
  • Physical Health Services / Rehabilitation
  • rehabilitation therapy
  • Rehabilitation, Medical
Other: Supportive Care
Receive resistance bands, nutritional guidance sources, and tips and resources
Other Names:
  • Supportive Therapy
  • Symptom Management
  • Therapy, Supportive
Procedure: Tailored Intervention
Receive starter prescription

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Participant completion and adherence to the prescribed training program (Feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 28 days immediately prior to surgery
Feasibility will be determined primarily by participant adherence to the prescribed training program during the 28-day period immediately prior to surgery, with the goal of > 70% adherence across each key category-exercise (aerobic and resistance), nutrition, and mind/spirit practice-in > 70% of enrolled patients. Adherence will be measured via a self-reported weekly training log that will be turned in routinely to the clinical research staff. Feasibility assessment will include descriptive statistics such as frequencies (%), along with estimates of precision (95% confidence intervals).
Up to 28 days immediately prior to surgery

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Enrollment rate (Feasibility)
Time Frame: Up to 1 year
Secondarily, feasibility will be evaluated via enrollment rate > 50% of eligible patients. Feasibility assessment will include descriptive statistics such as frequencies (%), along with estimates of precision (95% confidence intervals).
Up to 1 year
Change in physical measures - Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT)
Time Frame: From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery

This Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) test measures the distance a patient walks in 6 minutes.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in physical measures - Duke Activity Status Index (DASI)
Time Frame: From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery

This is a 12-question validated patient-reported outcome measure of self-reported functional capacity.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in physical measures - 30-second Sit to Stand (30STS)
Time Frame: From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery

This is an objective measure of functional capacity and lower body functional strength assessing how many times a person can go from sitting to standing within 30 seconds.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in physical measures - Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB)
Time Frame: From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery

This objective assessment tool evaluates lower extremity functioning in frail older adults with good validity and reliability.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in physical measures - Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMS) Cancer Function Brief 3D Profile
Time Frame: From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery

This is a 12-question validated patient-reported outcome measure of function in outpatient cancer rehabilitation patients.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in physical measures - Body composition
Time Frame: From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery

Body composition measures, including but not limited to fat-free mass, fat mass, and phase angle, have been associated with cancer outcomes.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline up to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in exercise behavior measures - Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire
Time Frame: From Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery

This Godin-Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (GSLTPAQ questionnaire (estimated completion time of one minute) consists of 3 self-administered questions.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in exercise behavior measures - Self-reported exercise activity
Time Frame: From Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery

Self-reported exercise activity is the average exercise dose over the 1 month prior will be reported by the participant at baseline and pre-operatively. This is a 12-question patient-reported outcome measure.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in exercise behavior measures - Self-Efficacy for Home Exercise Programs (SEHEPS)
Time Frame: From Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery

Self-Efficacy for Home Exercise Programs (SEHEPS) is a 12-question patient-reported outcome measure based on the Self-Efficacy for Exercise.

Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
From Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in malnutrition risk
Time Frame: Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Will evaluate malnutrition risk with Malnutrition Screening Tool. Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in psychological and spiritual distress
Time Frame: Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Will assess psychological and spiritual distress with relevant measures within the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale- Financial and Spiritual Distress (ESAS-FS) and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L). Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in symptom burden
Time Frame: Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Will evaluate symptom burden with ESAS-FS. Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Change in health-related quality of life
Time Frame: Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery
Will evaluate health-related quality of life with EQ-5D-5L. Changes in the outcome measure will be analyzed using paired t-tests (or non-parametric tests if the data distributions deviate from normality). These analyses will be intended to provide preliminary estimates and effect sizes, which will inform the design of future studies. The main objective will be to detect a signal rather than to test a formal hypothesis.
Baseline to 21-35 days post-surgery

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

City of Hope Medical Center

Collaborators

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Jessica Cheng, City of Hope Medical Center

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

November 13, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 26, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

November 26, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 27, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 19, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 24765 (Other Identifier: City of Hope Medical Center)
  • P30CA033572 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)
  • NCI-2026-03209 (Registry Identifier: CTRP (Clinical Trial Reporting Program))

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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