Exercise program for children with cancer
Official title: Fit to Fight Childhood Cancer: An Explorative Long-term Study on Exercise and Its Influence on Physical Performance and Psychosocial Aspects in Childhood Cancer Patients During and After Cancer Treatment.
Run by Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz · NCT05867186 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing how an exercise program can help improve physical performance and emotional well-being in children and teens with cancer during and after their treatment.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 3 Years to 21 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | chemotherapy |
| Locations | 1 site (Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 20, 2023 |
| Main results expected | July 31, 2027 |
| Study ends | July 31, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | August 6, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT05867186 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates include children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer who are undergoing treatment or aftercare.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients in the terminal phase of their disease may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational study investigates how exercise impacts physical performance and psychosocial well-being in children and adolescents undergoing cancer treatment or aftercare. Conducted at the University Medical Centre Mainz, it complements a larger European study by including patients not currently receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy. The study will monitor the effects of exercise therapy on fatigue, quality of life, and physical function over time, while also validating a new resilience assessment tool for this population. The goal is to enhance exercise therapy protocols based on observed outcomes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could improve the quality of life and physical performance in children and adolescents with cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Other studies have shown positive outcomes with exercise interventions in pediatric oncology, suggesting this approach is promising.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Oncological disease according to the International Classification of Childhood Cancer. * Planned or started anti-cancer treatment (chemo- and/or radiotherapy and/or surgery) at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine of the University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz or connection to the Paediatric Oncology Centre Mainz within the framework of aftercare. * The patient is assessed by the treating team (pediatric oncologist, exercise professional etc.) as suitable to participate in the trial, e.g. due to medical or psychological reasons. * Existing informed consent (or assent) to participate in the study. * The patient is not in a terminal phase of the disease. Exclusion criteria: * The patient is assessed by the treating team (pediatric oncologist, exercise professional etc.) as unsuitable to participate in the trial, e.g. due to medical or psychological reasons. * After detailed information and, if necessary, having time to consider, the patient (≥ 16 years of age) did not agree to give written informed consent to participate in the trial. In the case of minor patients (\<16 years of age): The legal guardians do not assume that the child/adolescent is able to freely decide on participation or to consent to participation on the basis of the information received, and do not consent to this themselves. * The patient (and the legal guardians) has/have insufficient knowledge of the German or English language, so that it is not possible to carry out both the informed consent and interviews (in age-appropriate language). * The patient is in a terminal phase of the disease.
Where it's running
-
Johannes-Gutenberg-University Medical Center
Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Joerg Faber, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. — Johannes-Gutenberg-University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Elias Dreismickenbecker
- Email: fortee@unimedizin-mainz.de
- Phone: 00496131178331
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Canut Junior: Testing Sensory Changes and Eating in Kids with Cancer
This feasibility study tests whether we can measure taste, smell, saliva, and food preferences in children and teens undergoing cancer treatment to see if it’s doable in real-world care.
-
Mindfulness to reduce scan-related anxiety in caregivers of children with cancer
This tests whether a mindfulness-based meditation program can help caregivers of children with cancer feel less anxious before, during, and after routine imaging scans.
-
Real-world rehabilitation for children and young adults with cancer in Italy (ReWori)
This project will follow children and young adults with cancer in Italy to see how their physical and motor abilities change while they receive usual physiotherapy or neuropsychomotor rehabilitation.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.