Chemo Brain Prehab for older adults with colorectal cancer

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This interventional study will examine whether a remotely supervised exercise prehabilitation program, with optional multivitamin supplementation, can lessen chemo brain symptoms in older adults receiving chemotherapy for stage II/III colorectal cancer. Participants must be 60–85 years old, fluent in English, not recently engaged in structured exercise, and eligible for fluorouracil, capecitabine, or oxaliplatin. The trial will compare exercise prehabilitation plus standard care or multivitamins plus standard care to standard care alone. The approach leverages exercise to boost brain health through enhanced blood flow and growth factors, aiming to improve memory, attention and thinking speed, and overall quality of life. Outcomes will include measures of cognitive symptoms, physical function, and quality of life, with remote supervision to enable participation across multiple sites.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Individuals with stage II or III colorectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy with fluorouracil, capecitabine, or oxaliplatin.
* Aged 60-85 years old.
* Fluent in English
* Male and female participants
* Not engaged in structured exercise training\* within the six months before providing consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Presence of comorbidities that may significantly alter the metabolic response to exercise (e.g., diabetes mellitus).
* Any contraindication to the multivitamin supplementation (Forceval), including known hypercalcaemia, haemochromatosis, peanut or soya allergy, current use of phenytoin or tetracycline antibiotics, and clinically significant impaired renal or hepatic function.
* Evidence of pre-existing cognitive impairment, including diagnosis of dementia, other neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease), or clinically indicated mild cognitive impairment.
* Diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and haematological malignancy.
* Participants without home internet access will be excluded due to the online delivery of the exercise programme.
* Diagnosis of profound hearing loss.
* Receiving palliative care.
* Presence of synchronous cancer.

  * Structured exercise refers to planned and organised physical activity, such as gym workouts, exercise classes or a team sport, which are designed to improve or maintain physical fitness, often with instruction, rules, and goals.

Where it's running

• East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
  Blackburn, Lancashire, United Kingdom Recruiting
• The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
  Liverpool, United Kingdom Recruiting
• University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust, Royal Lancaster Infirmary
  Lancaster, Lancashire, United Kingdom Not yet recruiting
• Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
  Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom Not yet recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Christopher Gaffney, BSc (Hons.) MSc PhD FHEA
• Email: c.gaffney@lancaster.ac.uk
• Phone: +44 (0) 1524 593 602

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.