AzTrials
AzTrials

Cancer Related FatigueNCT02846389

Trial of Exercise to Reduce Cancer Related Fatigue in Breast Cancer

A study testing Moderate Exercise in people with Cancer Related Fatigue, run by Hackensack Meridian Health at 1 site in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

Like other cancer treatments, radiation therapy can make people feel fatigued, or tired. The investigators think that moderate exercise, done 15 minutes at a time, can reduce the fatigue. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 75 years, women only
Conditions the study is for
Cancer Related Fatigue
What is being tested?
Moderate Exercise
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
24 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
21 Jun 2016to 3 Dec 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 75 years
  • Women only
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • women between the ages of 18 and 75 years
  • histologically confirmed non-metastatic carcinoma of the breast (in situ disease or invasive)
  • radiation therapy naïve
  • sedentary activity level at baseline, as defined by less than 60 minutes per week of modest physical activity based on 7-day physical activity recall questionnaire
  • ambulatory
  • negative serum pregnancy test and not planning to become pregnant in the next three months
  • able to provide meaningful consent.
  • Patients must have been deemed by their medical oncologist or internist that they "may participate in [this] exercise trial." Prior to randomization, participants are required to complete a Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) that includes questions regarding physical and medical conditions that would preclude safe participation in an exercise program.

Who cannot join

  • younger than 18 or older than 75 years
  • no histological confirmation of breast cancer
  • prior breast, chest, or pelvic radiotherapy
  • concurrent chemotherapy
  • distant metastases
  • physical limitations that contraindicate participation in low to moderate intensity exercise
Show all 9Show fewer
  • positive pregnancy test
  • currently engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity
  • psychiatric disorder which would render the participant unable to provide informed consent.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Hackensack University Medical Center

    Hackensack, New Jersey, 07601

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Randomized Controlled Trial of Exercise to Reduce Cancer Related Fatigue in Women Undergoing Radiation Treatment for Breast Cancer

Like other cancer treatments, radiation therapy can make people feel fatigued, or tired. The investigators think that moderate exercise, done 15 minutes at a time, can reduce the fatigue. This study is designed to gather more information, so that in the future, doctors can recommend whether patients should engage in exercise during a radiation treatment course.

Read the detailed description

Cancer related fatigue (CRF) is a common and debilitating side effect of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients. Physical activity interventions can attenuate CRF. The proposed study is a randomized, controlled trial (RCT) of exercise of structured moderate-intensity exercise intervention, delivered concurrently with radiotherapy, to reduce CRF and improve health-related quality of life among breast cancer patients. Eighty women with breast cancer scheduled to receive radiation therapy at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) will be randomized to one of the two trial arms:1) a facility-based aerobic exercise utilizing a portable stationary pedal exerciser; or 2) a control group. Intervention arm participants will exercise at the hospital either before or after their radiation treatment. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, 4 weeks into radiation course, and at 4-week follow-up visit. The outcome variables are CRF, biomarkers of inflammation, and health-related quality of life (QOL). The study will provide preliminary evidence on whether a short-term moderate-intensity exercise intervention might be effective in reducing CRF in women undergoing radiotherapy for breast cancer, and whether this effect is mediated by inflammation.

Being tested
Moderate Exercise
Keywords
Radiation therapy for Breast Cancer

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Moderate ExerciseOther

    Aerobic training utilizing the portable stationary pedal exerciser (Pedlar) which contains two cycling pedals mounted to a stationary block that allows patients to exercise while sitting. Participants are required to perform 15 minutes/day of aerobic exercise using the Pedlar device on radiation treatment days; during a standard radiation course, this will typically yield 75 minutes/week of aerobic time.

Study groups in NCT02846389
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Moderate ExerciseExperimentalModerate exercise - 15 minutes a day using a pedal box before or after radiation at the hospital (75 minutes a week).
Receives: Other: Moderate Exercise
Control GroupNo interventionNo exercise

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Assessment of Change in Fatigue Via Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-Fatigue) Survey Instrument.

    The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) is a 13-item subscale developed to identify a finite set of concerns specific to fatigue. The responses to the 13 items on the FACIT-Fatigue questionnaire are each measured on a 4-point likert scale, with score ranging from 0 to 52 (52 being the total score allowed). The FACIT-Fatigue scale has been validated in patients with cancer and showed excellent internal consistency and reliability.

    Responses to questions are scored: Not at all (0), A little bit (1), Somewhat (2) Quite a bit (3), Very much (4). Some scores are reversed depending on the question. The sum of the item scores are multiplied by the number of items in the scale, then divide by the number of items answered. This produces the score. The higher the score, the better the QOL.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks into RT

  2. Assessment of Change in Blood Biomarker of Inflammation: High Sensitivity CRP (hsCRP)

    Serum hsCRP will be measured on the Vitros 5,1 FS Chemistry platform via an immunoassay with a reportable range of 0.10 -15.00 mg/L, and intra- and inter-assay CVs of 1.8-4.0%. Change is reported based on the difference in the group mean of Serum hsCRP level between baseline and T4 visit.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks into RT

  3. Assessment of Change in Blood Biomarker of Inflammation: Serum Fibrinogen

    Fibrinogen will be measured using standardized clinical protocols. All assays have intra- and inter-assays coefficient of variations <10%. Change is reported based on the difference in the group mean of Serum fibrinogen level between baseline and T4 visit.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks into RT

  4. Assessment of Change in Blood Biomarker of Inflammation: Ferritin

    Ferritin will be measured using standardized clinical protocols. All assays have intra- and inter-assays coefficient of variations <10%. Change is reported based on the difference in the group mean of ferritin levels between baseline and T4 visit.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks into RT

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Assessment of Change in Cancer-related Healthcare Quality of Life (HRQOL) Measured Using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT) System Questionnaires.

    The Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures four different domains (physical well-being, functional well-being, emotional well-being, and social/family well-being). Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-B) is a breast cancer specific module that will be used to reflect patients' concerns; moreover, they are reliable, reproducible, and have been validated in numerous studies. Score ranging from 0 to 148 (148 being the total score allowed).

    Responses to questions are scored: Not at all (0), A little bit (1), Somewhat (2) Quite a bit (3), Very much (4). Some scores are reveresed depending on the question. The sum of the item scores are multiplied by the number of items in the scale, then divide by the number of items answered. This produces the score. The higher the score, the better the QOL.

    Change in the group sum of the FACT score between baseline and T4 visit.

    Measured: Baseline, 4 weeks into RT

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted27 Jul 2016 (estimated)
  2. Study start21 Jun 2016
  3. Primary completion3 Dec 2017
  4. Study completion3 Dec 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
24 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02846389
Sponsor's protocol ID
Pro2016-0162
Status last verified
Jul 2025
First submitted
18 Jul 2016
Last updated
23 Jul 2025
Data monitoring committee
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Potthoff K, Schmidt ME, Wiskemann J, Hof H, Klassen O, Habermann N, Beckhove P, Debus J, Ulrich CM, Steindorf K. Randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of progressive resistance training compared to progressive muscle relaxation in breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant radiotherapy: the BEST study. BMC Cancer. 2013 Mar 28;13:162. doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-13-162.

    PubMed 23537231
  • Fisher B, Jeong JH, Anderson S, Bryant J, Fisher ER, Wolmark N. Twenty-five-year follow-up of a randomized trial comparing radical mastectomy, total mastectomy, and total mastectomy followed by irradiation. N Engl J Med. 2002 Aug 22;347(8):567-75. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa020128.

    PubMed 12192016
  • Zelefsky MJ, Fuks Z, Hunt M, Yamada Y, Marion C, Ling CC, Amols H, Venkatraman ES, Leibel SA. High-dose intensity modulated radiation therapy for prostate cancer: early toxicity and biochemical outcome in 772 patients. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2002 Aug 1;53(5):1111-6. doi: 10.1016/s0360-3016(02)02857-2.

    PubMed 12128109
  • Fisher B, Dignam J, Wolmark N, Mamounas E, Costantino J, Poller W, Fisher ER, Wickerham DL, Deutsch M, Margolese R, Dimitrov N, Kavanah M. Lumpectomy and radiation therapy for the treatment of intraductal breast cancer: findings from National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project B-17. J Clin Oncol. 1998 Feb;16(2):441-52. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1998.16.2.441.

    PubMed 9469327
  • Bagshaw MA, Kaplan ID, Cox RC. Prostate cancer. Radiation therapy for localized disease. Cancer. 1993 Feb 1;71(3 Suppl):939-52. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(19930201)71:3+3.0.co;2-0.

    PubMed 8428344
  • Alcantara-Silva TR, Freitas-Junior R, Freitas NM, Machado GD. Fatigue related to radiotherapy for breast and/or gynaecological cancer: a systematic review. J Clin Nurs. 2013 Oct;22(19-20):2679-86. doi: 10.1111/jocn.12236. Epub 2013 May 8.

    PubMed 23651041
  • Steindorf K, Schmidt ME, Klassen O, Ulrich CM, Oelmann J, Habermann N, Beckhove P, Owen R, Debus J, Wiskemann J, Potthoff K. Randomized, controlled trial of resistance training in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant radiotherapy: results on cancer-related fatigue and quality of life. Ann Oncol. 2014 Nov;25(11):2237-2243. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdu374. Epub 2014 Aug 5.

    PubMed 25096607
  • Dhruva A, Dodd M, Paul SM, Cooper BA, Lee K, West C, Aouizerat BE, Swift PS, Wara W, Miaskowski C. Trajectories of fatigue in patients with breast cancer before, during, and after radiation therapy. Cancer Nurs. 2010 May-Jun;33(3):201-12. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0b013e3181c75f2a.

    PubMed 20357659
  • Jereczek-Fossa BA, Marsiglia HR, Orecchia R. Radiotherapy-related fatigue. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2002 Mar;41(3):317-25. doi: 10.1016/s1040-8428(01)00143-3.

    PubMed 11880207
  • Morrow GR, Shelke AR, Roscoe JA, Hickok JT, Mustian K. Management of cancer-related fatigue. Cancer Invest. 2005;23(3):229-39. doi: 10.1081/cnv-200055960.

    PubMed 15945509
  • Mustian KM, Peppone L, Darling TV, Palesh O, Heckler CE, Morrow GR. A 4-week home-based aerobic and resistance exercise program during radiation therapy: a pilot randomized clinical trial. J Support Oncol. 2009 Sep-Oct;7(5):158-67.

    PubMed 19831159
  • Noal S, Levy C, Hardouin A, Rieux C, Heutte N, Segura C, Collet F, Allouache D, Switsers O, Delcambre C, Delozier T, Henry-Amar M, Joly F. One-year longitudinal study of fatigue, cognitive functions, and quality of life after adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2011 Nov 1;81(3):795-803. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2010.06.037. Epub 2010 Oct 1.

    PubMed 20888704
  • Hickok JT, Roscoe JA, Morrow GR, Mustian K, Okunieff P, Bole CW. Frequency, severity, clinical course, and correlates of fatigue in 372 patients during 5 weeks of radiotherapy for cancer. Cancer. 2005 Oct 15;104(8):1772-8. doi: 10.1002/cncr.21364.

    PubMed 16116608
  • Ryan JL, Carroll JK, Ryan EP, Mustian KM, Fiscella K, Morrow GR. Mechanisms of cancer-related fatigue. Oncologist. 2007;12 Suppl 1:22-34. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.12-S1-22.

    PubMed 17573453
  • Bower JE, Ganz PA, Tao ML, Hu W, Belin TR, Sepah S, Cole S, Aziz N. Inflammatory biomarkers and fatigue during radiation therapy for breast and prostate cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2009 Sep 1;15(17):5534-40. doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-2584. Epub 2009 Aug 25.

    PubMed 19706826

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Moderate Exercise in people with Cancer Related Fatigue, run by Hackensack Meridian Health at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 9 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 23 Jul 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 23 Jul 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Assessment of Change in Fatigue Via Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT-Fatigue) Survey Instrument. (time frame: Baseline, 4 weeks into RT). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02846389, which also lists 34 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 23 Jul 2025.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in