Comprehensive Perioperative Program Based on Prehabilitation, Nutritional Intervention and Psychological Support for Patients With Locally Advanced Operable Oesophagogastric Cancer (OESOFIT)

June 25, 2026 updated by: Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute

A Comprehensive Preoperative and Postoperative Program Consisting Of Active Physical Therapy, A Comprehensive Nutritional Plan, And Psychological Support For Patients With Locally Advanced, Resectable Cancer Of The Esophagus, Gastroesophageal Junction, and Stomach

Perioperative chemotherapy (CHT) or CHT/RT combined with surgery is the standard therapeutic approach for the treatment of locally advanced cancer of the esophagus, gastroesophageal junction (GEJ), and stomach. Comprehensive cancer treatment is associated with high perioperative morbidity and mortality. Serious postoperative complications occur in up to 20-80% of patients undergoing esophagectomy. The impact of nutritional status and overall physical condition on surgical outcomes and overall treatment has been demonstrated many times. The concept of pre-rehabilitation/pre-optimization, which involves establishing an individualized nutritional plan, monitoring and managing physical activity, and providing comprehensive supportive oncological and psychological care as early as during neoadjuvant CHT or CHT/RT, is a prerequisite for improving perioperative and 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Standard care for locally advanced diseases includes perioperative chemotherapy or preoperative chemoradiotherapy, which can, in turn, lead to patient deconditioning prior to surgery. Efforts to overcome these complications led to the development of the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery) program. This program overlaps with the emerging concept of prehabilitation/pre-optimization, which is based on identifying risk factors, formulating nutritional support, creating an exercise plan to improve overall physical fitness, and implementing continuous psychological support to enhance the patient's postoperative recovery.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the body's primary homeostatic regulatory system, which can be negatively affected by anticancer treatment. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a suitable candidate for monitoring ANS function and can provide early indication of a deterioration in the sympathovagal balance of test subjects. As mentioned above, preoperative chemotherapy may further affect ANS function. It is known that regimens based on oxaliplatin and paclitaxel cause peripheral neuropathy and are associated with a significant impact on the adrenergic cardiovascular response and parasympathetic cardiac innervation. We hypothesize that a controlled increase in physical cardiorespiratory fitness during the preoperative period could improve HRV and aerobic performance, taking into account the patient's current condition. An integral part of a comprehensive program should also be perioperative individualized nutritional support aimed at maintaining body weight and muscle mass. The most common adverse effects of cancer treatment include cardiac toxicity, peripheral neuropathy, cachexia, loss of appetite, cognitive changes, fatigue, nausea, pain, and sleep disturbances, which have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. For this reason, special attention must also be paid to psychological support during active cancer treatment and in follow-up care. Psychological assessment should serve as a long-term tool for patients and families both during and after the active treatment course. Considering all the above aspects, a comprehensive assessment prior to treatment initiation and a specialized comprehensive program should be approached as a prehabilitation process. Furthermore, this concept, together with ERAS and six-month postoperative follow-up, constitutes optimal management of patients with esophageal cancer.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

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 Contact

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Czechia
      • Brno, Czechia, 65653
        • Recruiting
        • Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute
        • Contact:
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Radka Lordick Obermannová, Doc, MD, PhD

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

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Consent to participate in the study
  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Patients with locally advanced esophageal or gastric cancer indicated for comprehensive perioperative treatment
  • Resectable disease
  • ECOG performance status 0-2
  • Ability to participate in a fitness program
  • Willingness to follow a nutritional plan and recommendations

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Disseminated disease

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: Interventional
Participants undergo a multimodal prehabilitation and perioperative optimization program. Intervention includes supervised home-based exercise training prescribed according to the ACSM FITT principles for 8 weeks, incorporating inspiratory muscle training initiated at 60% of baseline maximal inspiratory pressure and progressively adjusted based on perceived exertion, together with aerobic exercise at 60-80% heart rate reserve. Training is delivered via telemedicine with regular remote supervision. Cardiorespiratory fitness is assessed at baseline, after completion of neoadjuvant therapy, and 6 months postoperatively. Participants will receive comprehensive nutritional assessment and individualized nutritional support, structured psychological counseling at predefined study time points, and perioperative care according to ERAS principles. Quality of life is evaluated using validated questionnaires. Cellular and humoral immunity and endocrine function are monitored longitudinally using
Diagnostic test: Cardiorespiratory fitness (FsPS)
A single measurement before the start of preoperative treatment (baseline), after completion of chemotherapy 4-2 weeks before surgery, and 6 months after surgery.
Other: Exercises you can do on your own at home
Exercise training is prescribed in accordance with the guidelines for prescribing physical activity (the FITT methodology published by the ACSM in 2018) for a period of 2 months. Training is set at 60% of the baseline maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and is increased by 5% if the participant reports a rate of perceived exertion (RPE) < 7 (RPE scale 1-10). Exercises is conducted under supervision using telemedicine technologies. Weekly online check-ins via video call using the MOU MEDDI platform (first 4 weeks), then once every 14 days. Alternatively, weekly training sessions at the gym for the first 4 weeks (3 times a week at home, walking for at least 30 minutes per training session), followed by independent training at home. The intensity of aerobic training is prescribed based on a target heart rate of 60-80% of the heart rate reserve. An important part of the evaluation is also the patient's adherence to the exercise intervention and their level of physical activity.
Other: Enhanced Recovery After Surgery ERAS
  1. Preoperative evaluation in the Anesthesiology and Resuscitation Department (ARD)/Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and preoperative intensive care, assessment of the patient's condition, development of an anesthetic plan, and consultation with the patient and their family members.
  2. Application of ERAS principles in the immediate preoperative period.
  3. Application of ERAS principles intraoperatively.
  4. Application of ERAS principles for the postoperative period.
  5. Implementation of early detection of complications and their immediate resolution.
Other: Nutritional support
  1. Assessment of nutrition using the SGA (Seven-Point Subjective Global Assessment)
  2. Assessment of nutritional status (nutritional requirements) using laboratory values, anthropometry, and bioimpedance
  3. Assessment of weight loss or gain using selected parameters
  4. Assessment of intake of regular food, oral dietary supplements, dietary modifications, and artificial nutrition
Other: Psychological support
Psychological intervention is provided to each patient at the following time points: 1) upon enrollment in the study, 2) before surgery, 3) 30 days after surgery, and 4) 6 months after surgery.
Other: Quality of life
It is assessed using standardized questionnaires.
Diagnostic test: Laboratory tests
Monitoring of cellular and humoral immunity/endocrine function will be performed by flow cytometry using two peripheral blood samples (1 tube containing 2.7 mL of EDTA-anticoagulated blood and 1 tube containing 5 mL of anticoagulant-free blood for serum separation) at 4 time points: 1) upon study enrollment, 2) before surgery, 3) 30 days after surgery, and 4) 6 months after surgery. Multicolor (6 to 8 colors) protocols for the proposed immune profile have already been established.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change From Baseline in Autonomic Nervous System Balance as Measured by Heart Rate Variability
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Evaluation of the root mean square of successive differences in milliseconds between heartbeats to assess parasympathetic activity.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Sleep Quality as Measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Total score on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaire (range 0-21), where higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Health-Related Quality of Life as Measured by the EORTC QLQ-C30 Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Global health status/Quality of life scale score (range 0-100) from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer core questionnaire
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Fatigue Severity as Measured by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Total score on the 13-item fatigue subscale (range 0-52), where lower scores indicate higher levels of fatigue.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Cardiorespiratory Fitness as Measured by Peak Oxygen Consumption (VO2 peak)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 year
Peak oxygen uptake measured in ml/kg/min during a cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer.
Baseline (pre-intervention), 1 year
Change From Baseline in Muscle Strength as Measured by Handgrip Dynamometry
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Maximum grip strength measured in kilograms (kg) using a calibrated handheld dynamometer.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Incidence of Postoperative Respiratory Complications
Time Frame: Perioperative
Percentage of participants experiencing respiratory complications (e.g., pneumonia, respiratory failure) as defined by the Clavien-Dindo classification (Grade II or higher).
Perioperative
Incidence of Anastomotic Dehiscence
Time Frame: Perioperative
Percentage of participants with radiologically or clinically confirmed leakage at the site of surgical anastomosis.
Perioperative
Change From Baseline in Daily Physical Activity Level as Measured by Average Daily Step Count
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Average number of steps per day recorded by a digital pedometer/accelerometer.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Lean Body Mass as Measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Total lean body mass measured in kilograms (kg) using a multi-frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis device.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Nutritional Intake (Protein Intake)
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Daily protein intake measured in grams per kilogram of body weight (g/kg/day) based on a 3-day food record.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Change From Baseline in Psychological Distress as Measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year
Total score for anxiety and depression subscales (each range 0-21) to evaluate the impact of psychological support.
Baseline (pre-intervention), Perioperative, 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Radka Lordick Obermannová, Doc, MD, PhD, Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

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 (Actual)

May 2, 2023

Primary Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 25, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 26, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 25, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • A12/23

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

IPD to be shared in pseudonymized form during the study. IPD to be published in anonymized form.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

after study completion

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

During the study, data will be managed in pseudonymized form in a protected database environment, available only for study team.

After completion of the study, the data will be fully anonymized for publication purposes. All publication outputs of the study will be carried out by a team of researchers led by the principal investigator. The submission of each publication is subject to the approval of the principal investigator.

The results of this study may be published or presented at scientific meetings after approval by the PI and always after anonymization of the subjects' personal data in accordance with Act No. 101/2000 Coll., on the protection of personal data.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • CSR

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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