Pancreatic CancerNCT07638410
Prehabilitation in High-risk Oncologic Surgery
A study testing Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program in people with Pancreatic Cancer and Colo-rectal Cancer, run by Fox Chase Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a prehabilitation program can improve recovery after major abdominal surgery in adults with cancer who are receiving treatment before surgery. Prehabilitation is supportive care given before surgery to help patients prepare physically, nutritionally, and emotionally. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Pancreatic Cancer, Colo-rectal Cancer, Gastric Cancer
- What is being tested?
- Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Jul 2026to 15 Mar 2030
- 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
- Evidence of probable or confirmed primary or recurrent malignant neoplasm of any stage
- Planned to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation
- Eligible surgical candidate for one of the following procedures: pancreatectomy, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, cystectomy, low anterior resection, abdominoperineal resection, or cytoreductive surgery with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy
- Age greater than 18 years
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 2
- Ability to understand and willingness to sign a written informed consent form and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) authorization document
Who cannot join
- Unable to complete study requirements, such as attending a minimum of two visits for each specialty referral. This will be assessed at the final preoperative visit, at which time the participant may be discontinued from the study and replaced. Participants will not be excluded due to lack of insurance coverage for health psychology visits.
- Does not proceed to surgery at an affiliated institution
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Fox Chase Cancer Center - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19111-2497
Henkel Valentine, PhD
About this study
Official title: SURG-236: Prehabilitation in High-risk Oncologic Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study
The goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a prehabilitation program can improve recovery after major abdominal surgery in adults with cancer who are receiving treatment before surgery. Prehabilitation is supportive care given before surgery to help patients prepare physically, nutritionally, and emotionally.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
Read more
- Does prehabilitation reduce the number of participants who die or have serious complications within 30 days after surgery?
- Does prehabilitation improve physical strength and fitness, nutritional status, emotional well-being, and quality of life before surgery?
- Does prehabilitation affect the length of the hospital stay after surgery, the time it takes to start additional cancer treatment after surgery, or the ability to complete recommended additional treatment?
Participants will take part in a prehabilitation program during their treatment period before surgery. The program includes visits with physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology. Participants will meet with each specialty at least twice before surgery. They will also complete questionnaires and tests that measure physical function, diet and weight, emotional well-being, and quality of life. After surgery, information about recovery and additional cancer treatment will be collected from medical records for up to 120 days.
Researchers will compare the outcomes of participants who receive the prehabilitation program with outcomes from similar patients who previously received care at Fox Chase Cancer Center but did not participate in this study.
Read the detailed description
Patients with cancer who receive treatment before major abdominal surgery may experience loss of strength, reduced nutritional status, fatigue, and emotional distress during the period leading up to surgery. These challenges may affect their ability to tolerate surgery and recover after the procedure. Prehabilitation is an approach intended to improve a patient's condition before surgery through coordinated supportive care.
This is a prospective cohort study evaluating a multidisciplinary prehabilitation program for adults with cancer who are undergoing neoadjuvant treatment before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program integrates physical therapy, nutritional support, and health psychology during the preoperative treatment period. The study will evaluate whether this approach is associated with improved postoperative outcomes and improved measures of physical function, nutritional status, and emotional well-being.
Outcomes for participants enrolled in the prospective prehabilitation cohort will be compared with outcomes from matched retrospective controls treated at Fox Chase Cancer Center before initiation of this study. Each prospective participant who proceeds to surgery and is eligible for analysis will be matched with one retrospective control based on relevant clinical and demographic characteristics, including age, sex, smoking status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, and cancer type. When more than one eligible matched control is available, one control will be selected at random.
The study is intended to assess whether a structured, multidisciplinary prehabilitation program can be implemented across several high-risk oncologic surgery populations and whether this approach may support improved recovery and continuity of cancer care after surgery.
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer, Colo-rectal Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Ovarian Cancer
- Being tested
- Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program
- Keywords
- Prehabilitation, Preoperative Rehabilitation, Multimodal Prehabilitation, Major Abdominal Surgery, Oncologic Surgery, Neoadjuvant Therapy, Postoperative Complications, Cancer Surgery
- Medical subject headings
- Pancreatic Neoplasms, Colonic Neoplasms, Stomach Neoplasms, Esophageal Neoplasms, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms, Ovarian Neoplasms, Postoperative Complications
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation ProgramBehavioural
A multidisciplinary prehabilitation program delivered during neoadjuvant therapy before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology support, with approximately monthly visits and at least two visits with each specialty before surgery.
Physical therapy includes an individualized home strengthening and aerobic exercise program supported by resistance bands, a pedometer, and an exercise log. Nutrition includes individualized dietary counseling focused on maintaining weight and meeting protein needs, with oral nutritional supplementation when clinically indicated. Health psychology includes assessment, supportive care planning, and referral to additional psychosocial resources when needed.
The intervention is completed before surgery; postoperative data collection is for follow-up only.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program | Experimental | Participants will receive a multidisciplinary prehabilitation program during the preoperative period while undergoing neoadjuvant treatment before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes supportive care provided by physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology to prepare participants for surgery and support physical, nutritional, and emotional well-being. Receives: Behavioral: Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
30-Day Rate of Death or Serious Complications After Surgery
Percentage of participants who experience death or at least one serious postoperative complication within 30 days after the index surgery, as defined by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Outcomes in participants receiving the multidisciplinary prehabilitation program will be compared with outcomes in matched retrospective controls.
Measured: Within 30 days after surgery
Secondary outcomes (3)
30-Day Death or Serious Complications by Surgical Cohort
Incidence of 30-day death or serious complications (DSC) among participants undergoing partial or complete pancreatectomy, low anterior resection or abdominoperineal resection, esophagectomy or major gastrectomy, cystectomy, cytoreductive surgery with HIPEC, or other major oncologic procedures. Outcomes will be compared with matched retrospective controls.
Measured: 30 days after surgery
Change in Physical Function, Nutritional Status, and Emotional Well-Being
Assessment of the effect of prehabilitation on physical fitness, nutritional status, and emotional well-being, including grip strength, 30-second sit-to-stand test performance, gait speed or 2-minute walk test completion, resting heart rate, skeletal muscle mass-to-height ratio, body weight, Healthy Eating Index score assessed using Vioscreen, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) questionnaire score, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 29-item Profile (PROMIS-29) score.
Measured: Baseline through final preoperative evaluation (up to 6 months before surgery)
Postoperative Surgical and Oncologic Outcomes
Evaluation of postoperative outcomes including primary surgical admission length of stay, time to initiation of adjuvant therapy, and rate of completion of recommended adjuvant therapy compared with matched retrospective controls.
Measured: From surgery through 120 days after surgery
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted10 Jun 2026
- Study start15 Jul 2026
- Primary completion15 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion15 Mar 2030 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Pancreatic CancerStudies 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
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- All prospectively enrolled participants will receive the multidisciplinary prehabilitation intervention during neoadjuvant therapy before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. Outcomes will be compared with outcomes from matched retrospective controls who received care before initiation of the prospective study and were not assigned to the study intervention.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Fox Chase Cancer Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Stephanie Gzreco, MD, Principal investigator, Fox Chase Cancer Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07638410
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SURG-236
- Status last verified
- Sep 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 21 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- SURG-236: Prehabilitation in High-risk Oncologic Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07638410
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- SURG-236
- Conditions
- Pancreatic Cancer, Colo-rectal Cancer, Gastric Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Bladder Cancer, Ovarian Cancer
- Keywords
- Prehabilitation, Preoperative Rehabilitation, Multimodal Prehabilitation, Major Abdominal Surgery, Oncologic Surgery, Neoadjuvant Therapy, Postoperative Complications, Cancer Surgery
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Fox Chase Cancer CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 15 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 15 Mar 2030 (estimated)
- First posted
- 10 Jun 2026 (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 goal of this clinical study is to learn whether a prehabilitation program can improve recovery after major abdominal surgery in adults with cancer who are receiving treatment before surgery. Prehabilitation is supportive care given before surgery to help patients prepare physically, nutritionally, and emotionally.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
- Does prehabilitation reduce the number of participants who die or have serious complications within 30 days after surgery?
- Does prehabilitation improve physical strength and fitness, nutritional status, emotional well-being, and quality of life before surgery?
- Does prehabilitation affect the length of the hospital stay after surgery, the time it takes to start additional cancer treatment after surgery, or the ability to complete recommended additional treatment?
Participants will take part in a prehabilitation program during their treatment period before surgery. The program includes visits with physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology. Participants will meet with each specialty at least twice before surgery. They will also complete questionnaires and tests that measure physical function, diet and weight, emotional well-being, and quality of life. After surgery, information about recovery and additional cancer treatment will be collected from medical records for up to 120 days.
Researchers will compare the outcomes of participants who receive the prehabilitation program with outcomes from similar patients who previously received care at Fox Chase Cancer Center but did not participate in this study.
Detailed description
Patients with cancer who receive treatment before major abdominal surgery may experience loss of strength, reduced nutritional status, fatigue, and emotional distress during the period leading up to surgery. These challenges may affect their ability to tolerate surgery and recover after the procedure. Prehabilitation is an approach intended to improve a patient's condition before surgery through coordinated supportive care.
This is a prospective cohort study evaluating a multidisciplinary prehabilitation program for adults with cancer who are undergoing neoadjuvant treatment before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program integrates physical therapy, nutritional support, and health psychology during the preoperative treatment period. The study will evaluate whether this approach is associated with improved postoperative outcomes and improved measures of physical function, nutritional status, and emotional well-being.
Outcomes for participants enrolled in the prospective prehabilitation cohort will be compared with outcomes from matched retrospective controls treated at Fox Chase Cancer Center before initiation of this study. Each prospective participant who proceeds to surgery and is eligible for analysis will be matched with one retrospective control based on relevant clinical and demographic characteristics, including age, sex, smoking status, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class, and cancer type. When more than one eligible matched control is available, one control will be selected at random.
The study is intended to assess whether a structured, multidisciplinary prehabilitation program can be implemented across several high-risk oncologic surgery populations and whether this approach may support improved recovery and continuity of cancer care after surgery.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- All prospectively enrolled participants will receive the multidisciplinary prehabilitation intervention during neoadjuvant therapy before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. Outcomes will be compared with outcomes from matched retrospective controls who received care before initiation of the prospective study and were not assigned to the study intervention.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program | Experimental | Behavioral: Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation ProgramParticipants will receive a multidisciplinary prehabilitation program during the preoperative period while undergoing neoadjuvant treatment before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes supportive care provided by physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology to prepare participants for surgery and support physical, nutritional, and emotional well-being. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Evidence of probable or confirmed primary or recurrent malignant neoplasm of any stage
- Planned to undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiation
- Eligible surgical candidate for one of the following procedures: pancreatectomy, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, cystectomy, low anterior resection, abdominoperineal resection, or cytoreductive surgery with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy
- Age greater than 18 years
- Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 to 2
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Unable to complete study requirements, such as attending a minimum of two visits for each specialty referral. This will be assessed at the final preoperative visit, at which time the participant may be discontinued from the study and replaced. Participants will not be excluded due to lack of insurance coverage for health psychology visits.
- Does not proceed to surgery at an affiliated institution
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation ProgramA multidisciplinary prehabilitation program delivered during neoadjuvant therapy before planned high-risk abdominal oncologic surgery. The program includes physical therapy, nutrition, and health psychology support, with approximately monthly visits and at least two visits with each specialty before surgery. Physical therapy includes an individualized home strengthening and aerobic exercise program supported by resistance bands, a pedometer, and an exercise log. Nutrition includes individualized dietary counseling focused on maintaining weight and meeting protein needs, with oral nutritional supplementation when clinically indicated. Health psychology includes assessment, supportive care planning, and referral to additional psychosocial resources when needed. The intervention is completed before surgery; postoperative data collection is for follow-up only. | Behavioural | Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program |
Primary outcome
30-Day Rate of Death or Serious Complications After Surgery
Time frame: Within 30 days after surgery
Percentage of participants who experience death or at least one serious postoperative complication within 30 days after the index surgery, as defined by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP). Outcomes in participants receiving the multidisciplinary prehabilitation program will be compared with outcomes in matched retrospective controls.
3 secondary outcomes
30-Day Death or Serious Complications by Surgical Cohort
Time frame: 30 days after surgery
Change in Physical Function, Nutritional Status, and Emotional Well-Being
Time frame: Baseline through final preoperative evaluation (up to 6 months before surgery)
Postoperative Surgical and Oncologic Outcomes
Time frame: From surgery through 120 days after surgery
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 21 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
Stephanie Gzreco, MD principal investigator
Fox Chase Cancer Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Multidisciplinary Prehabilitation Program in people with Pancreatic Cancer and Colo-rectal Cancer, run by Fox Chase Cancer Center 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 6 inclusion and 3 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: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Sep 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?
Contact Stephanie Greco, MD (2152143719, stephanie.greco@fccc.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
30-Day Rate of Death or Serious Complications After Surgery (time frame: Within 30 days after surgery). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 21 Sep 2026.