Exercise to Reduce Immune Aging and Lower Cancer Return Risk in Head and Neck Cancer Patients After Chemoradiotherapy

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating whether a specific exercise program can reduce cancer recurrence and improve immune function in patients with head and neck cancer after surgery and chemoradiotherapy. The study focuses on the effects of exercise on immune aging immunosenescence, which is linked to higher risks of cancer and other diseases. This three-year project aims to find a safe and effective exercise routine that supports recovery and long-term health in these patients. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a group doing high-intensity interval training HIIT combined with resistance exercises two to three times a week, starting 4-5 weeks after chemoradiotherapy, or to a control group receiving no exercise intervention. The exercise program lasts for 8 weeks with 24-36 sessions. Researchers will monitor physical activity at home and track outcomes over three years. Throughout the study, participants will have blood tests to measure immune aging markers before and after the exercise program and at follow-up points. They will also complete quality of life questionnaires and have their physical fitness assessed by peak oxygen uptake measurements. Researchers will follow participants for cancer recurrence and survival, collecting data across the full three years to evaluate the effects of exercise on health and immune function.

Can Exercise Ameliorate Immunosenescence and Thereby Reduce Relapse in Head and Neck Cancer Patients