Improving fitness response to aerobic exercise after operable breast cancer

A Randomized Trial to Minimize Non-Response to Aerobic Training in Operable Breast Cancer

NIH-funded research Sloan-Kettering Inst Can Research · NIH-11306568

This project tests whether doing more or longer aerobic exercise can help people treated for operable breast cancer improve heart and lung fitness.

Quick facts

Grant typeR37 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionSloan-Kettering Inst Can Research NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New York, United States)
Project IDNIH-11306568 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be randomly assigned to different amounts and lengths of supervised aerobic exercise to see which approach helps more people increase their cardiorespiratory fitness. The team will measure fitness before and after the program, track longer-term fitness and health, and collect information about what helped or got in the way of doing the exercise. This R37 extension builds on a parent trial and focuses on people who did not respond to standard exercise doses to learn how to reduce non-response. The goal is to better tailor exercise prescriptions for breast cancer survivors.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults treated for operable (early-stage) breast cancer who are medically cleared to participate in aerobic exercise are the intended participants.

Not a fit: People with metastatic disease, those who cannot safely perform aerobic exercise due to serious cardiac or other health issues, or those who already have very high fitness may not benefit from this program.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help more breast cancer survivors raise their fitness levels and lower long-term risk of heart disease.

How similar studies have performed: Prior exercise trials improved fitness for some but showed many non-responders, so extending exercise length and volume is promising but not yet proven to solve that problem.

Where this research is happening

New York, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.