Pilot Study to Evaluate Targeted Physical Activity Among Pancreatic Cancer Patients Receiving Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Summary

Patients with pancreatic cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy often experience functional decline, treatment interruptions, and clinical deterioration, and these risks may be amplified when frailty is present.

Interventions

• 36-session targeted physical exercise program delivered twice weekly · OTHER

  Participant will be enrolled for approximately 18-20 weeks (about 4-5 months). This includes a baseline assessment, participation in a 36-session targeted physical exercise program

Published eligibility criteria

Verbatim from the registry. Only the site can decide how these apply to a specific patient.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥18 years
2. Diagnosis of pancreatic cancer that is potentially resectable per the treating clinical team's assessment.
3. Planned to receive or actively receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to surgery.
4. Frail or pre-frail as defined by the protocol-specified frailty assessment tool (e.g., Fried Frailty Phenotype; pre-frail = 1-2 criteria; frail =\> 3 criteria).
5. Able to provide written informed consent.
6. Medically appropriate to participate in supervised, symptom-limited exercise as determined by study screening and, if indicated, the treating clinician's input.
7. Able to complete study assessments and questionnaires in English or Spanish (using IRB- approved instruments/materials).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Adults unable to consent.
2. Medical condition that, in the judgment of the investigator and/or treating clinician, makes exercise unsafe (e.g., unstable angina, uncontrolled arrhythmia, decompensated heart failure, uncontrolled severe pulmonary disease).
3. Any absolute contraindication to exercise participation/testing per institutional standards.
4. Severe symptoms or functional impairment that prevents safe participation despite program modification.
5. Inability to comply with the intervention schedule and study procedures despite reasonable scheduling accommodations.

Sites (1)

• University of Illinois Clinical Cancer Center, Chicago, Illinois · RECRUITING