Exercise during chemo may boost tumor shrinkage in breast cancer
NCT ID NCT04623554
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a supervised exercise program (a mix of high-intensity cycling and strength training) done three times a week during chemotherapy can help shrink breast tumors and improve how much chemo patients can tolerate. About 100 women with breast cancer will be randomly assigned to either the exercise program or usual care. The main goal is to see if exercise leads to a greater reduction in tumor size measured by MRI.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- supervised aerobic and resistance exercise program
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could show that regular exercise during chemotherapy helps shrink breast tumors and allows patients to complete more of their planned treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial (102 people) looking at tumor size on MRI, not long-term survival. Exercise may not significantly affect tumor response, and results may not apply to all breast cancer patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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102 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Expected to finish
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Feb 2034
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients newly diagnosed with histologically verified breast cancer and scheduled for neoadjuvant chemotherapy * Female gender * Aged ≥ 18 years old * Signed informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Patients ineligible for or who have declined to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy * Contraindications to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) * Physical or cognitive disabilities preventing exercise or physical testing * Inability to read and understand Danish * Based on clinical judgement, the physician assesses that the patient is not suitable for inclusion
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Department of Clinical Oncology and Palliative Care, Zealand University Hospital
Næstved, Denmark
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