Efficacy and Safety of a Preoperative Aerobic Exercise Program in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer.

Patients with gastrointestinal cancer often experience physical deconditioning; this could lead to an increased risk of complications, especially when they require major abdominal surgical procedures. It has been suggested that physical training in the preoperative period could improve their condition, reducing the risk of complications. Although this topic has been investigated, it has not been established yet the best short preoperative aerobic exercise program to enhance the aerobic capacity in patients with gastrointestinal cancer who are going to be to surgical primary management, and consequently, to help patients dealing with the physiological stress involved in a surgical intervention. Main objective: To determine the efficacy and safety of a 4 weeks preoperative exercise program in patients with gastrointestinal cancer scheduled for primary surgery. Materials and methods: This is a Phase II single arm clinical trial that will include patients between 45 and 70 years, with confirmed gastrointestinal cancer (gastric, hepatic, colon or rectal cancer), without electrocardiographic abnormalities, and scheduled for primary surgery in 4 weeks or more since recruitment All the enrolled patients will receive a basal aerobic capacity assessment with the 6-minute walk test. Then, two physical therapist will prescribe them a supervised and individualized aerobic training program in 3 sessions per week during 4 weeks. Each session will last 50 minutes and will increase the heart rate target weekly (from 50% to 70% of the maximum heart rate). The aerobic exercise will be carried on a treadmill or in a stationary bicycle. The post intervention aerobic capacity will be measured at week 3 and 4 with the 6-minute walk test. The main efficacy outcome will be peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) and the safety outcomes will be exercise-related adverse events and the program adherence. This protocol was approved by the Instituto Nacional de Cancerología's Ethical Board