Targeted telerehabilitation after curative lung cancer treatment
Telerehabilitation for Veteran Lung Cancer Survivors Following Curative Intent Therapy
This project will try an 8-week targeted telerehabilitation program for Veterans who recently finished curative treatment for stage I–III lung cancer to reduce breathlessness, fatigue, and anxiety and improve physical and social function.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 40 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VA Office of Research and Development Federal |
| Drugs / interventions | radiation |
| Locations | 1 site (Aurora, Colorado) |
| Trial ID | NCT05179408 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This is a pilot randomized trial enrolling 30–40 Veterans who completed curative-intent therapy for stage I–III lung cancer 1–6 months prior. Participants will be randomized 3:1 to 8 weeks of participant-chosen targeted telerehabilitation or a waitlist control, with primary aims of testing feasibility, acceptability, and safety. Exploratory outcomes include dyspnea, daily step count, fatigue, role/social function, fear/anxiety, and health-related quality of life analyzed with linear mixed effects models. The intervention is delivered remotely through the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center and excludes Veterans with comorbidities that preclude exercise or telehealth participation.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Veterans with stage I–III lung cancer who completed curative-intent therapy (surgery, definitive radiation, or concurrent chemoradiation) within the past 1–6 months and who can participate in exercise and telehealth are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with severe comorbid conditions that preclude exercise or telehealth (for example unstable arrhythmias, very low ejection fraction, chronic hypoxemia requiring >5 L/min oxygen), significant cognitive impairment, those in hospice, or with life expectancy under six months are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce symptom burden (breathlessness, fatigue, anxiety) and improve physical function and quality of life for Veteran lung cancer survivors.
How similar studies have performed: Remote rehabilitation and exercise programs have shown benefit in COPD and some cancer survivor populations, but multi-targeted telerehabilitation specifically for early-stage post-curative lung cancer survivors remains relatively novel and under-studied.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult Veterans with a history of stage I-III A/B lung cancer, and * Completed curative intent therapy (i.e., lung cancer resection surgery, definitive radiation, or concurrent chemoradiation) within 1-6 months Exclusion Criteria: * Adult Veterans with any comorbid conditions that preclude participation in exercise and telerehabilitation: * Orthopedic conditions (e.g., bilateral below-knee amputation), or * Severe cardiopulmonary disease (e.g., unstable arrhythmias including ventricular tachycardia, heart failure with systolic ejection fraction \< 25%, chronic hypoxemia needing \> 5 L/min oxygen supplementation at rest), or * Inability to follow directions or provide informed consent (e.g., moderate to severe dementia), or * Enrolled in hospice, or * With an estimated life expectancy of \< 6 months
Where this trial is running
Aurora, Colorado
- Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO — Aurora, Colorado, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Duc M. Ha, MD MAS — Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO
- Study coordinator: Duc M Ha, MD MAS
- Email: Duc.Ha@va.gov
- Phone: (240) 643-6872
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.