Resistance training and protein supplementation in patients with incurable gastroesophageal cancer: a randomized feasibility trial.
Rikke Krabek, Kasper Birch Kristensen, Simon Nørskov Thomsen et al.
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In 30 seconds
This open-label, parallel-group randomized feasibility trial assessed resistance training plus protein supplementation during first-line chemotherapy in patients with incurable gastroesophageal cancer. Twenty participants were randomized 2:1 to training three times weekly with daily supplements or control. Recruitment was 19%, retention was 90%, and median adherence was 63% for training and 39% for supplements. Only five participants (38%) met the minimum feasibility criteria for both interventions. No intervention-related serious adverse events occurred, and the groups showed no differences in body composition, physical performance, quality of life, or treatment tolerability. The authors concluded the combined intervention was not feasible in this setting.
Key findings
- Of 106 potentially eligible patients, 20 were randomized, giving a recruitment rate of 19%; retention was 90%.
- Median adherence was 63% (43; 77) for resistance training and 39% (17; 76) for protein supplementation.
- Five participants (38%) met minimum feasibility criteria for both interventions; no intervention-related serious adverse events occurred.
- No between-group differences were found in body composition, physical performance, quality of life, or treatment tolerability.
Why it matters
The trial addresses whether a combined exercise and nutrition intervention can be delivered alongside chemotherapy in a population vulnerable to cachexia and functional decline. Its findings distinguish safety from deliverability: serious intervention-related harms were not observed, but recruitment and adherence—particularly to supplementation—were insufficient to establish feasibility. These implementation outcomes are important when designing supportive-care interventions for patients receiving treatment for incurable cancer.
What to keep in mind
The feasibility trial randomized only 20 participants, and recruitment and adherence were low; it was not designed to establish efficacy.