Feasibility Testing of a Dyadic Exercise Program for Patients Undergoing Thoracic Radiotherapy and Their Family Caregivers

Purpose

The goal of this study is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an exercise intervention for patients undergoing thoracic radiation and their family caregivers.

Condition

  • Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Be diagnosed with a non-small cell lung cancer or esophageal cancer and going to receive at least 24 fractions thoracic RT - Have an ECOG performance status of ≤2 - Have a family caregiver (e.g., spouse, sibling, adult child) willing and able (self-identified) to participate in the exercise program Both patient and caregiver must meet all the following criteria: - Be ≥18 years old - Be able to read and speak English - Be able to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

  • A patient who meets the following criteria will be excluded from participating in this study: - Cognitive deficits noted in the medical records and/or cognitive deficits that would impede the completion of self-report instruments as deemed by the patient's attending radiation oncologist. - Experiences contraindications to exercise as determined by the clinical team - Regularly (self-defined) participates in an exercise program in the year prior to diagnosis A patient and caregiver who is pregnant (medical notes and/or self-identified, respectively) will be excluded.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Primary Purpose
Supportive Care
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Exercise Protocol 		The protocol will be comprised of up to 15 exercise sessions over the course of participants' 5-6 weeks radiation treatment period with each session lasting up to 60 minutes. Exercise sessions are a combination of resistance, aerobic, and flexibility training using bodyweight and/or elastic bands for resistance.
  • Other: Exercise
    Study participants will engage in 7-10 exercises per session targeting major muscle groups (e.g. quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, back, chest, arms, abdominal muscles). Movements will alternate between the lower and upper body thus allowing ample time for muscle-group recovery between exercises.

Recruiting Locations

The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas 77030
Contact:
Kathrin Milbury, MA,PHD
713-745-2868
kmilbury@mdanderson.org

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Study Contact

Kathrin Milbury, MA,PHD
(713) 745-2868
kmilbury@mdanderson.org

Detailed Description

Primary Objectives: 1. Examine the feasibility and acceptability of an exercise program 2. Examine an initial sign for intervention efficacy by examining pre/post-test scores for patients' objective physical function and patient and caregiver subjective physical and mental quality of life.