Alternative Exercise Program to Improve Skeletal Muscle Function and Fatigue in Cancer Survivors

University of Vermont

Status: Completed

Conditions: Breast Cancer

Treatments: Device: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02739620

M16-333

Details and patient eligibility

About

Exercise training has beneficial effects in cancer survivors to minimize some of the side effects of cancer and its treatment and improve long-term prognosis, but there are numerous hurdles for individuals diagnosed with, and being treated for, cancer to participate in exercise programs. The goal of this research study is to begin to evaluate whether exercise training via neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has beneficial effects on skeletal muscle size and function in cancer survivors.

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 40 to 70 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. stage I, II or III breast cancer
2. receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiation
3. a body mass index <35 kg/m2.

Exclusion criteria

1. metastatic disease, a prior history of cancer, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, or prior receipt of chemotherapy
2. autoimmune, vascular or neuromuscular disease that could alter skeletal muscle
3. prior knee or hip replacement
4. contraindications for use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation, including an implanted cardiac defibrillator or pacemaker, lower extremity blood clot or coagulopathy
5. pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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22 participants in 2 patient groups

NMES

Experimental group

Description:

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) group

Treatment:

Device: Neuromuscular electrical stimulation

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Control group