Chemotherapy can induce muscle loss in colorectal, breast and advanced renal cell carcinoma patients. The Danish nation-wide training and rehabilitation offer 'Body \& Cancer' offers intensive resistance and endurance training to all Danish cancer patients receiving chemotherapy with the aim of reducing treatment-related fatigue and physical impairments, but the potential of the training to preserve or improve muscle mass is uninvestigated. Furthermore, the underlying biological mechanisms of treatment and/or exercise induced changes in muscle mass in cancer patients remains uninvestigated. Thus, the primary purpose of the present study is to investigate changes in body composition during chemotherapy and after resistance and aerobic training combined with protein supplementation during ongoing chemotherapy in cancer patients. Secondly, we aim to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms of muscle mass regulation in biopsies obtained before and after a control period as well as after 10 weeks of exercise, both during chemotherapy. We hypothesize that 10 weeks exercise will improve muscle mass and body composition in cancer patients during chemotherapy as compared to a control period during chemotherapy alone.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
16
Dept of Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital
Aarhus C, Denmark
Changes in body composition
Changes in lean body mass and fat mass wil be assessed using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry
Time frame: Assessment before (baseline) and after (pre-training) the control period of 7 weeks (average), where patients recieve chemotherapy, and again after completion of 10 weeks of exericse (post-training).
Changes in underlying biological mechanisms associated with changes in muscle mass
Analyzed from muscle biopsies from m. vastus lateralis and venous blood samples
Time frame: Assessment before (baseline) and after (pre-training) the control period of 7 weeks (average), where patients recieve chemotherapy, and again after completion of 10 weeks of exericse (post-training).
Changes in dynamic muscle strength
Changes in muscle strength will be assessed using 1 repetition maximum (kg) tests using conventional training equipment.
Time frame: Assessment before (baseline) and after (pre-training) the control period of 7 weeks (average), where patients recieve chemotherapy, and again after completion of 10 weeks of exericse (post-training).
Changes in aerobic performance
Changes in aerobic performance will be assessed using the Watt max bicycle ergometer test. Maximal oxygen consumption (L O2 pr min) will be estimated based on this test.
Time frame: Assessment before (baseline) and after (pre-training) the control period of 7 weeks (average), where patients recieve chemotherapy, and again after completion of 10 weeks of exericse (post-training).
Changes in cancer related fatigue and quality of life
Changes in cancer related fatigue and quality of life wil be assessed using the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionaire QLQ C30
Time frame: Assessment before (baseline) and after (pre-training) the control period of 7 weeks (average), where patients recieve chemotherapy, and again after completion of 10 weeks of exericse (post-training).
Changes in functional performance
Changes in functional performance will be assessed using various validated functional performance tests. Thus, changes will be asssessed in 30 s arm curl test (max repetitions) , 30 s chair rise test (max repetitions), stair climbing test (time to ascend to flights of stairs), 10 m maximal gait speed test (time to walk 10 m as fast as possible).
Time frame: Assessment before (baseline) and after (pre-training) the control period of 7 weeks (average), where patients recieve chemotherapy, and again after completion of 10 weeks of exericse (post-training).
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