Exercise for Young Adults With Cancer
Condition: Fatigue; Cancer; Physical Activity; Exercise
MeSH terms: Fatigue
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Over the past decade, importance of supportive care in cancer treatment of young cancer
      patients has increased. However, most common cancer-related side effects, such as physical
      deconditioning, psychological problems, infertility, and cancer-related fatigue, are
      particularly problematic for young adults (AYA). Short- and long-term side effects result in
      impaired quality of life, social life, and physical activity levels. While there is growing
      evidence that physical exercise is effective in reducing disease- or treatment-related side
      effects, programs are generally not tailored to the unique needs of young adults. In
      addition, social media or web-based programs are rarely structurally integrated into existing
      care programs. The objective of the Your Exercise Program (YOUEX) study is therefore to
      address these specific needs and to improve physical exercise services for young people in
      Germany. To this end, this pilot study presents three approaches to physical activity
      enhancement, with a particular focus on web-based and cross-regional programs. All three
      approaches will be evaluated for their feasibility and effectiveness on fatigue, distress,
      quality of life, and activity levels, as well as sustained effects over 24 weeks. The YOUEX
      study is an exploratory intervention study in the form of a 12-week exercise program for
      patients aged 18 to 39 years who currently have or have had a cancer diagnosis within the
      past 5 years. Eligible patients can choose from three support programs: Social Media Exercise
      Program, Online Exercise Platform, Supervised Exercise Program. The goal is to recruit 70 to
      80 patients over an 8-month period. Evaluation questionnaires will be sent at three time
      points (T0: start of exercise program, T1: after 6 weeks; T2: after 12 weeks; T3: after 24
      weeks) with a short weekly questionnaire between T0 and T2 to assess weekly adherence and
      changes in fatigue. YOUEX study will collect detailed information on the acceptability and
      feasibility of different physical activity programs for young people and their lasting
      effects on fatigue, quality of life and physical activity. Should these be positive, the
      findings can directly inform health care practice, which would be highly relevant especially
      in light of the COVID pandemic.
    


Intervention name(s): Exercise - Social Media; Exercise - App; Exercise - closed to patients residence
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The supervised online-social media exercise intervention took place once per week at a fixed, pre-scheduled time, via an online video conference platform. The training sessions lasted for 60 minutes and included a holistic workout with different focuses (e.g. resistance training for lower extremities, sensorimotor training, home-based endurance training). Patients were further recommended independent physical activity like walking or cycling, 1-2 times per week or to maintain the current volume of physical activity.; Exercise program in the online-app were personalized and focused on a combination of endurance and resistance training, 2-3 times a week, depending on patient's needs. Additional types of exercise (e.g. sensorimotor training) were added if therapy-related side effects were present. If necessary, exercise trainers conducted one introductory training session as video conference to check for exercise techniques and answer any individual questions.; The supervised exercise program close to patient's home was executed in a certified exercise facility of the network OnkoAktiv and supervised by special qualified exercise trainers. The weekly recommendation was to participate in a personalized in-person exercise program 1-2 per week, plus independent physical activity (or to maintain current level of physical activity)
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Keywords: cancer; social media; exercise; virtual training; app