NCT04478851

EXCEL: Exercise for Cancer to Enhance Living Well

Project EXCEL: Dissemination, Implementation, and Effectiveness of the Exercise Oncology Survivorship Partnership Model - Reaching Rural Cancer Survivors to Enhance Quality of Life

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1,500 (estimated)
• Sponsor: University of Calgary · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 100 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

Project EXCEL will provide community or online exercise programs to rural and remote and under-served cancer survivors, as well as encourage participants to become life-long exercisers. Exercise is an evidence-based self-management strategy that benefits all cancer survivors. However, most cancer survivors who live in remote or rural places don't have adequate opportunities to be involved in exercise programs that are tailored to their needs.

Detailed description

As cancer survivorship numbers grow, a focus on positive health in survivorship is essential. Exercise is an evidence-based effective self-management strategy that benefits all cancer survivors (CS). However, the majority of research and the limited development of evidence-based clinical or community programs in exercise and cancer has been conducted almost exclusively in urban academic and clinical settings, with very limited implementation outreach to "hard to reach" CS. In this proposed cancer exercise hybrid implementation effectiveness research, over 5 years we will use an integrated knowledge translation approach to move the current evidence-base that clearly supports the role of exercise in cancer survivorship, into sustainable and effective community-based or online settings that will optimize the delivery of exercise to rural/remote and underserved CS (RCS). Implementing and evaluating the proposed Exercise Oncology Survivorship (EOS) partnership model will result in a sustainable resource to support the implementation and delivery of exercise oncology programs in rural Canadian communities. Investigators will work to develop lasting referral pathways between cancer care clinics and local fitness professionals. These fitness professionals will have additional cancer specific training to ensure they can effectively and safely deliver the program. Eligible and consenting participants will be screened for exercise safety, and following fitness testing will be triaged to appropriate exercise programming. If, due to COVID-19 public health restrictions, community based programming cannot occur, the exercise sessions will be delivered online by fitness professionals.

Conditions

• Cancer
• Head and Neck Cancer
• Colon Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Prostate Cancer
• Cancer Caregivers

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Group Exercise Classes	The exercise program to be implemented for rural cancer survivors will combine aerobic, resistance, balance, and flexibility exercises delivered in a circuit-type class setting or group personal training format, twice weekly for a 12-week period. If public health restrictions require closure of fitness facilities due to COVID-19, the program will be delivered online. If facilities are open, the sessions will be integrated in the community, delivered in-person. Whether delivered in-class or remotely, the program follows exercise progression principles (ie, frequency, intensity, time, type, overload and progression) over the 12-weeks, with tailoring of any exercise to meet individual participant needs as required, in order to promote fitness and wellness benefits. The exercise intervention is based on the Alberta Cancer Exercise (ACE) program.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-09-02
• Primary completion: 2027-12-31
• Completion: 2027-12-31
• First posted: 2020-07-21
• Last updated: 2022-03-31

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: Canada