The effect of a pre- and post- operative exercise programme versus standard care on physical fitness of patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer undergoing neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery (The PERIOP-OG Trial): A Randomised controlled trial

Abstract Background Neoadjuvant cancer treatment (NCT) reduces physical fitness prior to surgery. Lower levels of fitness pre-operatively are associated with increased risk of post-operative morbidity and prolonged recovery. Exercise prehabilitation can optimise fitness for surgery. There is a paucity of evidence regarding the role of community-based exercise programmes during oncological treatment of oesophagogastric malignancies. The aim of the PERIOP-OG trial was to investigate the effect of a community-based exercise prehabilitation programme on physical fitness and other clinical outcomes in patients undergoing NCT and surgical resection for oesophagogastric malignancies. Methods Between March 2019 and December 2020, patients with oesophagogastric cancers requiring NCT and surgery were recruited to a multi-centre randomised controlled trial that compared an exercise prehabilitation group to a usual care control group. The exercise programme commenced following cancer diagnosis. All participants undertook assessments at baseline, end of NCT and pre-surgery. The primary endpoint was improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, measured by the 6-min walk test (6MWT), from baseline and pre-surgery. Secondary endpoints included upper and lower body strength tests (grip strength and 10-sec sit to stand), EQ-5D-5L Health Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy (FACT-E) Questionnaire and Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ). Results Seventy-one patients were randomised (exercise n = 36, control n = 35). Baseline characteristics between groups were comparable: mean age (p = 0.87) and sex (p = 0.24). The difference-in-difference (DID) for the exercise prehabilitation showed a significant improvement in 6MWT pre-surgery compared to the usual care group from baseline to pre-surgery: mean (standard deviation) 522 m (17.4) to 582 m (20.1) vs. 498 m (18.2) to 506 m (28.7), p = 0.050. There was no significant DID in grip strength p = 0.770, 10-sec sit to stand (p = 0.100), EQ-5D-5L (p = 0.311), FACT-E (p = 0.105) or SFQ (p = 0.350). Conclusions The PERIOP-OG trial demonstrates that a community-based exercise prehabilitation programme initiated at diagnosis, continued during NCT and up to the time of surgery, significantly improves cardiorespiratory fitness. This community exercise prehabilitation model is feasible and sustainable and may provide a standardised framework for the prescription of exercise in oesophagogastric cancer patients.