Cutaneous MelanomaEX-BOOSTNCT06008977
Exercise to Boost Response to Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy
A study testing Exercise Test in people with Cutaneous Melanoma and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, run by AdventHealth Translational Research Institute at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this pilot study will be to provide i) information on feasibility implementing an exercise intervention trial among patients with cutaneous cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC), and Merkel cell carcinoma, scheduled to receive checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, and ii) preliminary… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cutaneous Melanoma, Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Merkel Cell Carcinoma
- What is being tested?
- Exercise Test
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 3 Jun 2024to Dec 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Males and females ≥18 years of age.
- Able to read and speak English fluently.
- Reported ability to complete 20-30 minutes moderate exercise per positive response to, "Can you currently walk unaided for six minutes or more?"
- Scheduled for first-time checkpoint blockade immunotherapy with avelumab, cemiplimab, ipilimumab, nivolumab, or pembrolizumab in the absence of other therapies (e.g. targeted therapy) with the following diagnosis:
- Adjuvant setting: cutaneous melanoma.
- Neoadjuvant setting: cutaneous melanoma, cuSCC, or Merkel cell carcinoma.
- States willingness to follow protocol as described, including the prescribed exercise level and completing any forms needed throughout the study.
- Voluntarily signed and dated an informed consent form, approved by an Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee, and provided Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act authorization (HIPAA) or other privacy authorization prior to any participation in study.
Who cannot join
- Presence of medical conditions, such as severe cardiovascular disease for which exercise may be contraindicated. Participants may be referred to their medical team to obtain a cardiology approval.
- Presence of major postoperative complications for which an exercise intervention may be contraindicated.
- Currently has a chronic, contagious, infectious disease, such as active tuberculosis, active Hepatitis B or C, HIV, or COVID-19, per self-report.
- Currently pregnant, lactating or planning to become pregnant (positive result on urine pregnancy testing).
- Presence of any condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, compromises participant safety or data integrity or the participant's ability to complete the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
AdventHealth Translational Research Institute
Orlando, Florida, 32804
About this study
The purpose of this pilot study will be to provide i) information on feasibility implementing an exercise intervention trial among patients with cutaneous cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC), and Merkel cell carcinoma, scheduled to receive checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, and ii) preliminary data on the impact of a day-of-therapy exercise intervention.
- Being tested
- Exercise Test
- Medical subject headings
- Melanoma, Carcinoma, Merkel Cell
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Exercise TestOther
Supervised pedaling on an ergometer (stationary bike) at a moderate pace for a goal of 30 minutes. The exercise test will be scheduled at infusion visits 1, 6, and 12 or 1 and 3 over the treatment cycle, depending on the group assignment.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Group- No Exercise (Adjuvant) | No intervention | Patients randomized to the standard arm will receive clinical care following AH standards for the patient's disease type and therapeutic setting. This includes history and physical and laboratory studies to be conducted on each infusion day before clearing the patient for infusion. |
| Intervention Group- Moderate Exercise (adjuvant) | Active comparator | Patients randomized to the exercise arm will complete up to 30 minutes of same-day exercise prior to each administration of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy across all cycles. The preferred exercise is 30 minutes of moderate exertion on a cycle ergometer. Receives: Other: Exercise Test |
| Standard Group- No Exercise (Neoadjuvant) | No intervention | Patients randomized to the standard arm will receive clinical care following AH (AdventHealth) standards for the patient's disease type and therapeutic setting. This includes history and physical and laboratory studies to be conducted on each infusion day before clearing the patient for infusion. |
| Intervention Group- Moderate Exercise (Neoadjuvant) | Active comparator | Patients randomized to the exercise arm will complete up to 30 minutes of same-day exercise prior to each administration of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy across all cycles. The preferred exercise is 30 minutes of moderate exertion on a cycle ergometer. Receives: Other: Exercise Test |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Relapse-free survival
For patients treated in the adjuvant setting. Total study duration is dependent upon oncology therapy.
Recurrence-free survival will be assessed.
Measured: Up to 12 months
Pathological complete response (pCR)
For patients treated in the neoadjuvant setting. All neoadjuvant patients will have remaining tumor and, when appropriate, its associated nodal basin removed after completion of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Total study duration is dependent upon oncology therapy.
This will be measured in excised tissues after standard-of-care surgery post completion of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy.
Measured: Up to 12 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Aug 2023
- Study start3 Jun 2024
- Primary completion7 Aug 2025
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (7)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Cutaneous MelanomaStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- We will use stratified block randomization to assure non-biased assignment to the exercise intervention arm. Within each treatment setting, adjuvant and neoadjuvant, 10 patients will be randomized to the exercise intervention arm and 10 to the standard treatment arm. Within the neoadjuvant setting, randomization also will be blocked within disease type.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- AdventHealth Translational Research Institute
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Bret Goodpaster, PhD, Principal investigator, Study Principal Investigator
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06008977
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1805426
- Acronym
- EX-BOOST
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 6 Jun 2023
- Last updated
- 25 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Hojman P, Gehl J, Christensen JF, Pedersen BK. Molecular Mechanisms Linking Exercise to Cancer Prevention and Treatment. Cell Metab. 2018 Jan 9;27(1):10-21. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.09.015. Epub 2017 Oct 19.
PubMed 29056514Campbell JP, Turner JE. Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan. Front Immunol. 2018 Apr 16;9:648. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648. eCollection 2018.
PubMed 29713319Martin-Ruiz A, Fiuza-Luces C, Rincon-Castanedo C, Fernandez-Moreno D, Galvez BG, Martinez-Martinez E, Martin-Acosta P, Coronado MJ, Franco-Luzon L, Gonzalez-Murillo A, Ramirez M, Provencio M, Lucia A. Benefits of exercise and immunotherapy in a murine model of human non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2020;26:100-115.
PubMed 32139351Montes J, McDermott MP, Martens WB, Dunaway S, Glanzman AM, Riley S, Quigley J, Montgomery MJ, Sproule D, Tawil R, Chung WK, Darras BT, De Vivo DC, Kaufmann P, Finkel RS; Muscle Study Group and the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinical Research Network. Six-Minute Walk Test demonstrates motor fatigue in spinal muscular atrophy. Neurology. 2010 Mar 9;74(10):833-8. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181d3e308.
PubMed 20211907Tetzlaff MT, Messina JL, Stein JE, Xu X, Amaria RN, Blank CU, van de Wiel BA, Ferguson PM, Rawson RV, Ross MI, Spillane AJ, Gershenwald JE, Saw RPM, van Akkooi ACJ, van Houdt WJ, Mitchell TC, Menzies AM, Long GV, Wargo JA, Davies MA, Prieto VG, Taube JM, Scolyer RA. Pathological assessment of resection specimens after neoadjuvant therapy for metastatic melanoma. Ann Oncol. 2018 Aug 1;29(8):1861-1868. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdy226.
PubMed 29945191Weber J, Mandala M, Del Vecchio M, Gogas HJ, Arance AM, Cowey CL, Dalle S, Schenker M, Chiarion-Sileni V, Marquez-Rodas I, Grob JJ, Butler MO, Middleton MR, Maio M, Atkinson V, Queirolo P, Gonzalez R, Kudchadkar RR, Smylie M, Meyer N, Mortier L, Atkins MB, Long GV, Bhatia S, Lebbe C, Rutkowski P, Yokota K, Yamazaki N, Kim TM, de Pril V, Sabater J, Qureshi A, Larkin J, Ascierto PA; CheckMate 238 Collaborators. Adjuvant Nivolumab versus Ipilimumab in Resected Stage III or IV Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 9;377(19):1824-1835. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1709030. Epub 2017 Sep 10.
PubMed 28891423Khunger A, Buchwald ZS, Lowe M, Khan MK, Delman KA, Tarhini AA. Neoadjuvant therapy of locally/regionally advanced melanoma. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Jul 31;11:1758835919866959. doi: 10.1177/1758835919866959. eCollection 2019.
PubMed 31391869
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 25 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Exercise to Boost Response to Checkpoint Blockade Immunotherapy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06008977
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EX-BOOST / 1805426
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- AdventHealth Translational Research InstituteUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 3 Jun 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 7 Aug 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Aug 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this pilot study will be to provide i) information on feasibility implementing an exercise intervention trial among patients with cutaneous cancers, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (cuSCC), and Merkel cell carcinoma, scheduled to receive checkpoint blockade immunotherapy, and ii) preliminary data on the impact of a day-of-therapy exercise intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 4
- Model description
- We will use stratified block randomization to assure non-biased assignment to the exercise intervention arm. Within each treatment setting, adjuvant and neoadjuvant, 10 patients will be randomized to the exercise intervention arm and 10 to the standard treatment arm. Within the neoadjuvant setting, randomization also will be blocked within disease type.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Group- No Exercise (Adjuvant) | No intervention | –Patients randomized to the standard arm will receive clinical care following AH standards for the patient's disease type and therapeutic setting. This includes history and physical and laboratory studies to be conducted on each infusion day before clearing the patient for infusion. |
| Intervention Group- Moderate Exercise (adjuvant) | Active comparator | Other: Exercise TestPatients randomized to the exercise arm will complete up to 30 minutes of same-day exercise prior to each administration of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy across all cycles. The preferred exercise is 30 minutes of moderate exertion on a cycle ergometer. |
| Standard Group- No Exercise (Neoadjuvant) | No intervention | –Patients randomized to the standard arm will receive clinical care following AH (AdventHealth) standards for the patient's disease type and therapeutic setting. This includes history and physical and laboratory studies to be conducted on each infusion day before clearing the patient for infusion. |
| Intervention Group- Moderate Exercise (Neoadjuvant) | Active comparator | Other: Exercise TestPatients randomized to the exercise arm will complete up to 30 minutes of same-day exercise prior to each administration of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy across all cycles. The preferred exercise is 30 minutes of moderate exertion on a cycle ergometer. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (8 listed)
- Males and females ≥18 years of age.
- Able to read and speak English fluently.
- Reported ability to complete 20-30 minutes moderate exercise per positive response to, "Can you currently walk unaided for six minutes or more?"
- Scheduled for first-time checkpoint blockade immunotherapy with avelumab, cemiplimab, ipilimumab, nivolumab, or pembrolizumab in the absence of other therapies (e.g. targeted therapy) with the following diagnosis:
- States willingness to follow protocol as described, including the prescribed exercise level and completing any forms needed throughout the study.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Presence of medical conditions, such as severe cardiovascular disease for which exercise may be contraindicated. Participants may be referred to their medical team to obtain a cardiology approval.
- Presence of major postoperative complications for which an exercise intervention may be contraindicated.
- Currently has a chronic, contagious, infectious disease, such as active tuberculosis, active Hepatitis B or C, HIV, or COVID-19, per self-report.
- Currently pregnant, lactating or planning to become pregnant (positive result on urine pregnancy testing).
- Presence of any condition that, in the opinion of the Investigator, compromises participant safety or data integrity or the participant's ability to complete the study.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise TestSupervised pedaling on an ergometer (stationary bike) at a moderate pace for a goal of 30 minutes. The exercise test will be scheduled at infusion visits 1, 6, and 12 or 1 and 3 over the treatment cycle, depending on the group assignment. | Other | Intervention Group- Moderate Exercise (Neoadjuvant), Intervention Group- Moderate Exercise (adjuvant) |
Primary outcome
Relapse-free survival
Time frame: Up to 12 months
For patients treated in the adjuvant setting. Total study duration is dependent upon oncology therapy. Recurrence-free survival will be assessed.
Pathological complete response (pCR)
Time frame: Up to 12 months
For patients treated in the neoadjuvant setting. All neoadjuvant patients will have remaining tumor and, when appropriate, its associated nodal basin removed after completion of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Total study duration is dependent upon oncology therapy. This will be measured in excised tissues after standard-of-care surgery post completion of checkpoint blockade immunotherapy.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 25 Mar 2026.
- Background: PubMed 29056514Hojman P, Gehl J, Christensen JF, Pedersen BK. Molecular Mechanisms Linking Exercise to Cancer Prevention and Treatment. Cell Metab. 2018 Jan 9;27(1):10-21. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2017.09.015. Epub 2017 Oct 19.
- Background: PubMed 29713319Campbell JP, Turner JE. Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan. Front Immunol. 2018 Apr 16;9:648. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.00648. eCollection 2018.
- Background: PubMed 32139351Martin-Ruiz A, Fiuza-Luces C, Rincon-Castanedo C, Fernandez-Moreno D, Galvez BG, Martinez-Martinez E, Martin-Acosta P, Coronado MJ, Franco-Luzon L, Gonzalez-Murillo A, Ramirez M, Provencio M, Lucia A. Benefits of exercise and immunotherapy in a murine model of human non-small-cell lung carcinoma. Exerc Immunol Rev. 2020;26:100-115.
- Background: PubMed 20211907Montes J, McDermott MP, Martens WB, Dunaway S, Glanzman AM, Riley S, Quigley J, Montgomery MJ, Sproule D, Tawil R, Chung WK, Darras BT, De Vivo DC, Kaufmann P, Finkel RS; Muscle Study Group and the Pediatric Neuromuscular Clinical Research Network. Six-Minute Walk Test demonstrates motor fatigue in spinal muscular atrophy. Neurology. 2010 Mar 9;74(10):833-8. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0b013e3181d3e308.
- Background: PubMed 29945191Tetzlaff MT, Messina JL, Stein JE, Xu X, Amaria RN, Blank CU, van de Wiel BA, Ferguson PM, Rawson RV, Ross MI, Spillane AJ, Gershenwald JE, Saw RPM, van Akkooi ACJ, van Houdt WJ, Mitchell TC, Menzies AM, Long GV, Wargo JA, Davies MA, Prieto VG, Taube JM, Scolyer RA. Pathological assessment of resection specimens after neoadjuvant therapy for metastatic melanoma. Ann Oncol. 2018 Aug 1;29(8):1861-1868. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdy226.
- Background: PubMed 28891423Weber J, Mandala M, Del Vecchio M, Gogas HJ, Arance AM, Cowey CL, Dalle S, Schenker M, Chiarion-Sileni V, Marquez-Rodas I, Grob JJ, Butler MO, Middleton MR, Maio M, Atkinson V, Queirolo P, Gonzalez R, Kudchadkar RR, Smylie M, Meyer N, Mortier L, Atkins MB, Long GV, Bhatia S, Lebbe C, Rutkowski P, Yokota K, Yamazaki N, Kim TM, de Pril V, Sabater J, Qureshi A, Larkin J, Ascierto PA; CheckMate 238 Collaborators. Adjuvant Nivolumab versus Ipilimumab in Resected Stage III or IV Melanoma. N Engl J Med. 2017 Nov 9;377(19):1824-1835. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1709030. Epub 2017 Sep 10.
- Background: PubMed 31391869Khunger A, Buchwald ZS, Lowe M, Khan MK, Delman KA, Tarhini AA. Neoadjuvant therapy of locally/regionally advanced melanoma. Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2019 Jul 31;11:1758835919866959. doi: 10.1177/1758835919866959. eCollection 2019.
- Website for AdventHealth Translational Research InstituteLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Bret Goodpaster, PhD principal investigator
Study Principal Investigator
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Exercise Test in people with Cutaneous Melanoma and Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma, run by AdventHealth Translational Research Institute at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 25 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Relapse-free survival (time frame: Up to 12 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06008977, which also lists 7 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 25 Mar 2026.