Dose-response of aerobic training during total neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced rectal cancer

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Randomized trials demonstrate aerobic training (AT) attenuates treatment-induced impairments in physiological and psychosocial outcomes in a broad number of cancer patient populations. However, whether AT specifically impacts the tolerability of cancer treatment is largely unknown. To address this fundamental knowledge gap in exercise-oncology research, the objective of this study is to evaluate the dose-response of AT on treatment tolerability and related outcomes in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) initiating total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT). LARC is an ideal model in which to conduct a definitive trial of AT on treatment tolerability for several reasons: (1) high rate of LARC diagnoses annually in the U.S. (>40,000), (2) poor tolerability of TNT (<60% of patients complete the recommended regimen), and (3) strong biological rationale (TNT-induced impairment in hematological function is the major cause of poor tolerability, and AT is demonstrated to enhance hematological function in preclinical and clinical studies). Therefore, in this phase 2 randomized trial, a total of 225 inactive (<60 mins of moderate-intensity exercise/wk) patients with LARC scheduled to initiate TNT will be stratified by sex (male vs. females) and age (<55 years vs. >55 years) and randomly allocated (1:1:1 ratio) to receive: 90 mins/week, 150 mins/week, or 300 mins/week from pre-treatment to pre-surgery (~32 weeks). All AT dose regimens will be prescribed according to standard AT principles and implemented using our digital AT platform permitting all sessions to be performed in patients’ homes with remote real-time monitoring. We will address 3 specific aims: AIM 1: Determine dose-response of AT on TNT treatment tolerability. AIM 2: Evaluate AT dose-response on hematological function. AIM 3: Explore AT dose-response on tumor clinical outcomes. The proposed study directly addresses an unmet clinical need by testing, for the first time, the dose-response effects of AT on multiple treatment-related outcomes in patients with LARC receiving TNT. The proposed study will improve behavioral intervention protocols for patients undergoing cancer treatment by using our digital exercise approach that expands access to AT for patients not residing within close proximity of a research site. Receiving cancer treatment is not a qualifying condition for exercise therapy and, as such, exercise is not currently considered a standard aspect of cancer management. Therefore, if successful, findings from this investigation will also shift clinical paradigms regarding exercise therapy in cancer by adding to a growing body of evidence supporting integration of AT into standard clinical cancer care.