Impact of Six-Week Bright Light and Exercise Program on Sleep, Symptoms, and Quality of Life in Lung and Esophageal Cancer Patients

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to evaluate the effects of a six-week bright-light exposure combined with a specific exercise training program on patients with lung and esophageal cancer. The study focuses on improving sleep-wake rhythm, physical and mental symptoms, quality of life, and assessing one-year recurrence and survival rates. It is a randomized, double-blind clinical trial conducted at a single center in Taiwan involving participants with thoracic cancer. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups. The experimental group undergoes a rehabilitation program consisting of daily morning bright-light exposure for 36 minutes and tailored moderate-intensity walking sessions three times per week for six weeks, with weekly exercise consultations via a communication app. The control group participates in a six-week stretching exercise program involving four movements, lasting 10 minutes per session, three times a week. Both groups receive instruction through manuals, videos, and online resources. During the study, participants will be assessed five times before the intervention, at the 6th and 12th weeks, and at the 6th and 12th months. Researchers will measure sleep-wake rhythm changes, subjective and objective sleep quality, anxiety and depression levels, quality of life, and track cancer recurrence and survival rates. The study includes long-term follow-up to evaluate outcomes over one year.

Effects of Bright-light Exposure Combined With Specific Exercise Training (BEST) Program in Patients With Cancer