Home telehealth strength program to help older women stay on chemotherapy and feel stronger
TeleHealth Resistance exercise Intervention to preserve dose intensity and Vitality in Elder breast cancer patients (THRIVE)
A home-based strength exercise program delivered by video to help women 65 and older stay on their planned chemotherapy and maintain energy and function.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11320763 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would follow a guided resistance (strength) exercise program delivered through telehealth, with regular remote coaching and check-ins. The program is designed to reduce treatment side effects that often cause dose delays or reductions, and staff will track your ability to complete planned chemotherapy doses. Researchers will monitor your physical function, falls, mood, fatigue, and treatment adherence over the course of therapy. The goal is to keep you as strong and energetic as possible while you get cancer treatment.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women aged 65 or older who are starting or receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and who can participate in home exercise sessions via telehealth are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People who cannot safely perform resistance exercises (for example, those who are bed-bound, have unstable heart disease, or have severe cognitive impairment) or who do not receive chemotherapy are unlikely to benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help older breast cancer patients tolerate full chemotherapy doses and feel less fatigued during treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Prior exercise studies in cancer patients have shown benefits for strength, fatigue, and function, but this telehealth approach focused on preserving chemotherapy dose in older women is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Schmitz, Kathryn H. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Schmitz, Kathryn H.
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 below.