Clinical Trial: Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition in Colon Cancer Patients

Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Observational

Official Title: Changes in Aerobic Capacity and Body Composition in Colon Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

Brief Summary: Recent studies have shown that survival after a colorectal cancer diagnosis may be affected by a person's activity level and body size. This research says that for colorectal cancer patients, the less active and more obese they are, the more likely they are to have a cancer recurrence or die from their cancer. Chemotherapy has been shown to reduce activity levels, fitness, and body size in some cancer patients. However, it is not known how chemotherapy specific for colon cancer patients affects their activity levels, fitness, and body size. The main goal of our study will be to look at how chemotherapy treatments affect the fitness, activity levels, and body size in colon cancer patients. In order to do this, we will measure these variables before chemotherapy treatments, and at 1 and 6 months following the end of treatment. Our results will show how chemotherapy affects fitness, activity levels, and body size in colon cancer patients and provide data to help in designing an exercise intervention specifically for colon cancer survivors.

Detailed Summary:

Background Information: Recent evidence has suggested that the physical activity levels and body composition of colorectal cancer survivors can impact the disease-free and overall survival following diagnosis, with those individuals who are more overweight or obese and less active at greater risk of a recurrence of or dying from colorectal cancer (Meyerhardt et al, 2006a,b; Digman et al, 2006). Chemotherapy treatments have been shown to improve survival in a number of cancer populations, but unfortunately they have also been shown to negatively impact numerous physiological and psychological variables, including reduced exercise capacity, self-reported physical functioning and activity levels, and negative changes in body composition (Schmitz et al, 2005). This suggests that chemotherapy treatments may negatively impact variables that have been associated with survival in individuals diagnosed with colorectal cancer. However, this research has been conducted in cancer populations other than colorectal cancer patients, hence the specific impact of the chemotherapy treatments for colorectal cancer on these outcomes is not known.

Objectives: The primary objective of the study is to determine the effects of chemotherapy treatments on the aerobic capacity and body composition of colon cancer patients. Secondary objectives are to determine the effects of chemotherapy treatments on quality of life, fatigue, performance status, self-reported and objectively measured physical functioning, exercise behaviour, oxygen uptake kinetics, muscular strength, and anthropometric variables.

Study Design: The study parameters assessed will include descriptive information on demographic, lifestyle and medical variables; a graded exercise test with metabolic measurement to determine peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak); air-displacement plethysmogr
Sponsor: AHS Cancer Control Alberta

Current Primary Outcome:

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Information By: AHS Cancer Control Alberta

Dates:
Date Received: May 7, 2007
Date Started: October 2007
Date Completion:
Last Updated: February 24, 2016
Last Verified: April 2012