Using fitness trackers to improve exercise before cancer surgery

Assessment, Monitoring and Optimisation of Prehabilitation Patients Using Wearable Fitness Trackers

NA · Imperial College London · NCT06071650

This study is testing if using fitness trackers and exercise support can help cancer patients get fitter before surgery and improve their recovery.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment82 (estimated)
Ages18 Years to 80 Years
SexAll
SponsorImperial College London (other)
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy
Locations2 sites (London and 1 other locations)
Trial IDNCT06071650 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study focuses on prehabilitation, which involves prescribed exercise before surgery to enhance patients' fitness and improve surgical outcomes. Participants will be assessed for their baseline fitness using a modified Rockport test and will exercise to reach a target heart rate, monitored through a wrist-worn fitness tracker. Weekly telephone calls will provide support and track progress. The aim is to determine if these methods are more effective than current practices in assessing fitness and exercise intensity for patients undergoing surgery for cancer.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults aged 18-80 with a new diagnosis of non-metastatic oesophago-gastric, hepatobiliary, or lung cancer who are eligible for surgical resection.

Not a fit: Patients with non-resectable disease or those who have declined surgery will not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lead to improved fitness and better surgical outcomes for cancer patients.

How similar studies have performed: While prehabilitation is gaining recognition, there is limited existing evidence supporting the best practices, making this approach relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Age 18 - 80 years.
* New diagnosis of non-metastatic oesophago-gastric (OG), hepatobiliary (HPB) or Lung Cancer (LC) being offered surgical resection with curative intent at Imperial College NHS Healthcare Trust (OG/HPB) or Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital (LC).
* Proficient in English
* Enrolled in a prehabilitation programme.
* Capable of providing informed consent and willing to comply with all parts of the protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Unable to provide informed consent.
* Non-resectable disease.
* Declined surgery.
* No access to smart phone/tablet or internet
* Involved in other current research or have recently been involved in any research prior to recruitment

Where this trial is running

London and 1 other locations

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Cancer, preoperative exercise, prehabilitation, activity tracker, kinesiotherapy

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 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.