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Physical Activity and Healthy Aging: Promoting Cardio-metabolic Capacity to Fight Chronic Inflammation and Improve Outcomes in Breast Cancer Patients (PhActHealth Study)
Sponsor: University of Milan
Summary
PhActHealth is a multicenter randomized controlled trial enrolling women with newly diagnosed luminal B or triple-negative breast cancer (BC) who are candidates for neoadjuvant therapy. The study aims to investigate the effects of a preoperative, unsupervised exercise training program on exercise capacity, as well as on immune response, autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation, cardiovascular health, and tumor aggressiveness prior to surgical removal. Participants are randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. All patients receive lifestyle counseling, while those in the intervention group additionally follow a personalized aerobic and resistance exercise program throughout the neoadjuvant treatment period before surgery. The primary outcome is the improvement in exercise capacity. The secondary outcomes are tumor-specific and systemic responses to the intervention, evaluated by analyzing molecular, metabolic, and inflammatory markers, as well as clinical and functional parameters.
Official title: PhActHealth - Physical Activity and Healthy Aging: Fighting Low Grade Chronic Inflammation to Put Out the Cardio-oncologic Risk
Key Details
Gender
FEMALE
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
126
Start Date
2026-02-01
Completion Date
2029-02-28
Last Updated
2026-08-20
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Pre-habilitation exercise program
Participants undertake a 16-week personalized pre-habilitation exercise training program as follows: * Aerobic training: five times per week with an initial session duration set at 45 minutes.The initial target intensity is set at 40% of the Heart Rate Reserve (HRR). Both duration and intensity are progressively increased based on individual exercise tolerance, aiming for an intensity of approximately 60% HRR and a duration of 60 minutes per session. * Resistance training: twice per week, ensuring at least 24-48 hours of recovery between sessions. Patients follow the prescribed number of sets and repetitions demonstrated in in the video tutorials provided by the study staff.
Locations (2)
Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico
Milan, Italy
University of Urbino "Carlo Bo"
Urbino, Italy