Preoperative Physical Exercise, Nutritional Support, and Psychological Intervention (Multimodal Prehabilitation) to Strengthen Patients' Overall Health and Reduce Postoperative Complications

Starting soon · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Cancer Surgery, Prehabilitation

In brief

In this prospective, randomized, controlled trial patients undergoing major gastrointestinal cancer surgery will be exercised (intervention group) 4 weeks before surgery with a high-intensity interval training (HIIT). They will also receive a specialized nutrition therapy and psychological support (multimodal prehabilitation). Aim of this study is to find out if the prehabilitation group is more resilient to postoperative complications when compared to the control group that will receive standard of care. Another goal is to unravel the underlying mechanisms that are stimulated by exercise like enhancing vascular function, improving immune system response, strengthen cellular tumor defense and optimizing neurological outcome.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07389746

Run by

University Hospital of Cologne

People needed

400

Starts

2026-07-01

Expected to finish

2029-01-01

Last updated by the study team

2026-02-13

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 80. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Candidate to elective major gastrointestinal cancer surgery (pelvic exenteration, cytoreductive surgery, oesophagectomy, transhiatal gastrectomy, hepatectomy, pancreatectomy, rectum resection)
• High risk for surgical complications defined by presence of comorbid disease such as deconditioning, heart disease, diabetes, renal impairment or morbid obesity
• Duke Activity Status Index score (DASI) <402
• Schedule allowing for at least 4 weeks for intervention with multimodal prehabilitation prior to surgery / willingness to exercise

You may not qualify if…

• Non-elective surgery
• Unstable cardiac or respiratory disease
• Locomotor limitations precluding exercise training
• Cognitive deterioration impeding adherence to the programme
• Enrolment in other research studies affecting study endpoint

Where it is running

• University Hospital of Cologne — Cologne, Germany

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Trial information comes from ClinicalTrials.gov and is refreshed daily. TrialsForMe does not provide medical care and does not run the studies it lists.