Exercise Programs Before Surgery to Improve Immune Response and Outcomes in Advanced Oesophageal Cancer

What this Trial Is About

Oesophageal cancer is a difficult disease to treat, with low survival rates despite intensive therapies like chemotherapy and surgery. Researchers are investigating if exercise before surgery can improve how the immune system responds to the tumour, which may enhance treatment outcomes. This study focuses on how different levels of exercise intensity affect immune cell activity in tumours and overall patient fitness, aiming to find the best exercise approach before surgery for people with advanced oesophageal cancer. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two supervised exercise programs while receiving chemotherapy before surgery. One group will follow a lower-intensity cycling and resistance exercise routine, gradually increasing intensity. The other group will engage in a higher-intensity program featuring treadmill or cycling intervals combined with resistance exercises. Both groups will also have home exercise components. Researchers will compare how these exercise levels influence immune cells in tumour tissue removed during surgery and changes in fitness. Throughout the study, blood and stool samples will be collected to analyze immune responses and gut microbiome changes before, during, and after the exercise intervention. Tumour tissue will be examined for immune cell presence after surgery. The study will measure tumour immune infiltration and improvement in cardiorespiratory function over 16 weeks. Participants will be monitored closely during their treatment, with the total study period covering the time from enrollment through the end of treatment.

Will a Pre-therapy Exercise Intervention Improve the Outcomes of Patients With Advanced Oesophageal Cancer?