Prehabilitation in High-risk Oncologic Surgery

Part of paid clinical trials in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Sponsor: Fox Chase Cancer Center
Study ID: NCT07638410
Status: Recruiting

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Conditions

Abdominal Surgery Complications
Bladder Cancer
Colo-rectal Cancer
Esophageal Cancer
Gastric Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: ALL
Age: 18 Years - N/A
Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program — BEHAVIORAL
A multidisciplinary prehabilitation program delivered during neoadjuvant therapy before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology support, with approximately monthly visits and at least two visits with each specialty before surgery. Physical therapy includes an individualized home strengthening and aerobic exercise program supported by resistance bands, a pedometer, and an exercise log. Nutrition includes individualized dietary counseling focused on maintaining weight and meeting protein needs, with oral nutritional supplementation when clinically indicated. Health psychology includes assessment, supportive care planning, and referral to additional psychosocial resources when needed. The intervention is completed before surgery; postoperative data collection is for follow-up only.

Study Details

The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a prehabilitation program can improve recovery after major abdominal surgery in adults with cancer who are receiving treatment before surgery. Prehabilitation is supportive care given before surgery to help patients prepare physically, nutritionally, and emotionally. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does prehabilitation reduce the number of participants who die or have serious complications within 30 days after surgery? 2. Does prehabilitation improve physical strength and fitness, nutritional status, emotional well-being, and quality of life before surgery? 3. Does prehabilitation affect the length of the hospital stay after surgery, the time it takes to start additional cancer treatment after surgery, or the ability to complete recommended additional treatment? Participants will take part in a prehabilitation program during their treatment period before surgery. The program includes visits with physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology. Participants will meet with each specialty at least twice before surgery. They will also complete questionnaires and tests that measure physical function, diet and weight, emotional well-being, and quality of life. After surgery, information about recovery and additional cancer treatment will be collected from medical records for up to 120 days. Researchers will compare the outcomes of participants who receive the prehabilitation program with outcomes from similar patients who previously received care at Fox Chase Cancer Center but did not participate in this study.

Key Dates

First listed: Jun 10, 2026
Start date: Jul 15, 2026
Status verified: Sep 2026
Primary completion: Dec 15, 2029
Completion: Mar 15, 2030

Study Design

Enrollment: 180 participants (estimated)
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Arms

Experimental: Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program
Participants will receive a multidisciplinary prehabilitation program during the preoperative period while undergoing neoadjuvant treatment before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes supportive care provided by physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology to prepare participants for surgery and support physical, nutritional, and emotional well-being.