Exercise for older cancer survivors: practical guidance and safe programs
Official title: Advancing Capacity to Integrate Exercise into the Care of Older Cancer Survivors: The ACES initiative to establish guidelines, feasibility and best practices for research in cancer and aging
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11323208 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops practical exercise guidance and pilots safe programs to help people 65 and older who have had cancer improve strength, mobility, and quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $546,080 |
| NIH project number | 4R33CA280996-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323208 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are cancer survivors aged 65 or older, including those with limited mobility or multiple health conditions who want to try supervised exercise as part of recovery or survivorship care.
✕Less likely to help
People under age 65, those who are not cancer survivors, or individuals with unstable medical conditions that prohibit physical activity may not benefit from participating.
What this research studies
A team of cancer, exercise, and aging experts will create age-tailored exercise guidelines and best practices for use in clinical care. They will design and run early-stage (phase I-II) feasibility studies of different exercise types, including plans for people with functional limitations and multiple health issues. Safety, acceptability, and how to deliver exercise within routine cancer care will be measured to inform larger trials. The work aims to produce clear steps clinics can use to include exercise in care for older survivors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, older cancer survivors could receive clear, safe exercise plans that improve daily function and lower the risk of falls and disability.
How similar studies have gone: Exercise programs have helped younger cancer survivors, but rigorous early-phase trials focused specifically on older survivors are largely missing.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Winters-Stone, Kerri M — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Winters-Stone, Kerri M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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ACES: Feasibility and guidelines for adding exercise to care for older cancer survivors
A research project is exploring how to safely and practically include exercise in the care plans of people 65 and older living with cancer to improve their daily functioning and quality of life.
-
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This research explores how aging affects thinking and memory in people who survived breast cancer many years after treatment, focusing on those 65 and older.
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Aging, DNA Methylation, and Cardio Risk in Breast Cancer Survivors
A study to help breast cancer survivors understand how aging and DNA changes might raise the chance of heart disease.
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Risk and resilience in memory aging among older cancer survivors in the US and UK
This grant studies how memory changes over time in older cancer survivors in the US and UK to identify factors that help or hinder memory aging.
-
Understanding Memory Changes in Older Cancer Survivors in the US and England
This project looks at how memory changes over time for older adults who have had cancer, comparing experiences in the United States and England.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.