Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Abstract Background Sarcopenia is highly prevalent among people being treated for various types of cancers and is associated with adverse clinical impacts including postoperative complications, chemotherapy-related toxicities, and poor survival. These impacts highlight the need for early interventio...
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| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Cancer |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14721-9 |
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| author | Min Kyeong Jang Seho Park Justine Y. Jeon Min Jae Kang Chang Park Ardith Z. Doorenbos Sue Kim |
| author_facet | Min Kyeong Jang Seho Park Justine Y. Jeon Min Jae Kang Chang Park Ardith Z. Doorenbos Sue Kim |
| author_sort | Min Kyeong Jang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Sarcopenia is highly prevalent among people being treated for various types of cancers and is associated with adverse clinical impacts including postoperative complications, chemotherapy-related toxicities, and poor survival. These impacts highlight the need for early intervention to mitigate the progression of sarcopenia during treatment. To date, substantial evidence from clinical trials supports the effectiveness of resistance exercise for reducing sarcopenia, yet the specific effects of prehabilitation exercise during neoadjuvant chemotherapy among patients with breast cancer remain underexplored. Methods This two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effects of a supervised resistance exercise program in addressing sarcopenia, reducing treatment-related adverse effects, alleviating cancer-related symptoms, and improving quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Forty-six women (aged 20 years or older, diagnosed with breast cancer, and scheduled to start neoadjuvant chemotherapy) will be randomly assigned to either a resistance exercise group or a usual care control group. To overcome potential challenges related to geographic accessibility and treatment side effects, and to improve program completion, the exercise program offers a hybrid model with three expert-supervised exercise sessions per week available both on-site and online. Each supervised session lasts 60 min. Primary and secondary outcome measures include body composition (i.e., muscle mass), muscle strength, physical performance, treatment-related adverse effects, and self-reported cancer-related symptoms and QOL. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (pre-intervention), at 6 and 12 weeks during the intervention, and at completion of the intervention (18 weeks), using validated measures. The study was approved by the institutional review board of Yonsei University Health System’s Severance Hospital. Discussion This proposed pragmatic RCT will provide meaningful insights into the role of resistance exercise in mitigating sarcopenia and its impact on the clinical outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. The trial is also expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based sarcopenia interventions tailored to patients with breast cancer and to help guide future directions for clinical practice and research. Trial registration This trial was prospectively registered in the Clinical Research Information Service (reference number KCT0008961) in the Republic of Korea on November 16, 2023. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7b4c0a85ccfc4f9a9534c0a66a1d04e7 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1471-2407 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Cancer |
| spelling | doaj-art-7b4c0a85ccfc4f9a9534c0a66a1d04e72025-08-20T03:05:13ZengBMCBMC Cancer1471-24072025-08-0125111110.1186/s12885-025-14721-9Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trialMin Kyeong Jang0Seho Park1Justine Y. Jeon2Min Jae Kang3Chang Park4Ardith Z. Doorenbos5Sue Kim6Mo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute, Yonsei University College of NursingDivision of Breast Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of MedicineDepartment of Sport Industry Studies, Yonsei UniversityMo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute, Yonsei University College of NursingDepartment of Population Health Nursing Science, Office of Research Facilitation, University of Illinois Chicago College of NursingDepartment of Biobehavioral Nursing Science, University of Illinois Chicago College of NursingMo-Im Kim Nursing Research Institute, Yonsei University College of NursingAbstract Background Sarcopenia is highly prevalent among people being treated for various types of cancers and is associated with adverse clinical impacts including postoperative complications, chemotherapy-related toxicities, and poor survival. These impacts highlight the need for early intervention to mitigate the progression of sarcopenia during treatment. To date, substantial evidence from clinical trials supports the effectiveness of resistance exercise for reducing sarcopenia, yet the specific effects of prehabilitation exercise during neoadjuvant chemotherapy among patients with breast cancer remain underexplored. Methods This two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to evaluate the effects of a supervised resistance exercise program in addressing sarcopenia, reducing treatment-related adverse effects, alleviating cancer-related symptoms, and improving quality of life (QOL) in patients with breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Forty-six women (aged 20 years or older, diagnosed with breast cancer, and scheduled to start neoadjuvant chemotherapy) will be randomly assigned to either a resistance exercise group or a usual care control group. To overcome potential challenges related to geographic accessibility and treatment side effects, and to improve program completion, the exercise program offers a hybrid model with three expert-supervised exercise sessions per week available both on-site and online. Each supervised session lasts 60 min. Primary and secondary outcome measures include body composition (i.e., muscle mass), muscle strength, physical performance, treatment-related adverse effects, and self-reported cancer-related symptoms and QOL. Assessments will be conducted at baseline (pre-intervention), at 6 and 12 weeks during the intervention, and at completion of the intervention (18 weeks), using validated measures. The study was approved by the institutional review board of Yonsei University Health System’s Severance Hospital. Discussion This proposed pragmatic RCT will provide meaningful insights into the role of resistance exercise in mitigating sarcopenia and its impact on the clinical outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. The trial is also expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based sarcopenia interventions tailored to patients with breast cancer and to help guide future directions for clinical practice and research. Trial registration This trial was prospectively registered in the Clinical Research Information Service (reference number KCT0008961) in the Republic of Korea on November 16, 2023.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14721-9SarcopeniaResistance exerciseMuscle massNeoadjuvant chemotherapyBreast cancerTreatment adverse effect |
| spellingShingle | Min Kyeong Jang Seho Park Justine Y. Jeon Min Jae Kang Chang Park Ardith Z. Doorenbos Sue Kim Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial BMC Cancer Sarcopenia Resistance exercise Muscle mass Neoadjuvant chemotherapy Breast cancer Treatment adverse effect |
| title | Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial |
| title_full | Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial |
| title_short | Evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial |
| title_sort | evaluating the effects of a resistance exercise intervention for sarcopenia in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer study protocol for a randomized controlled trial |
| topic | Sarcopenia Resistance exercise Muscle mass Neoadjuvant chemotherapy Breast cancer Treatment adverse effect |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-14721-9 |
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