# Rehabilitation after bone marrow transplant compared with usual care to improve patient outcomes (REBOOT): protocol for a randomised controlled trial

## TL;DR

This study tests if a rehabilitation program improves quality of life for bone marrow transplant patients compared to usual care.

## Contribution

A novel multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention is evaluated in a large, multi-site RCT for post-transplant haematological cancer patients.

## Key findings

- The trial will assess physical function using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire in patients after bone marrow transplants.
- Secondary outcomes include fatigue, physical activity, and health economics, providing a comprehensive evaluation of rehabilitation effects.
- The study includes a process evaluation to explore intervention fidelity and contextual influences on outcomes.

## Abstract

Haematological cancer affects more than 1.3 million people around the world annually and accounted for almost 800,000 deaths globally in 2020. The number of patients with these cancers undergoing bone marrow transplant is increasing. Of note, this intensive treatment is associated with complex and multifactorial side effects, often impacting nutritional status, physical functioning and overall health-related quality of life. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of an eight-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation intervention compared with usual care on the physical function domain of the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer quality of life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3) in patients with haematological cancer following bone marrow transplant.

This is a multisite, pragmatic two-arm parallel-group, randomised controlled trial (RCT) with stratified randomisation, powered for superiority, recruiting 170 participants at 30 days following either allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplant (ACTRN12622001071718). Recruitment sites include three Australian university affiliated teaching hospitals. Participants are eligible if aged ≥ 18 years, treated for haematological cancer with allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplant and can walk independently. The intervention group will receive eight weeks of twice weekly telehealth-based exercise classes, an initial and follow up dietetics consult, post exercise protein supplements, and a home-based physical activity program, all with embedded behaviour change strategies. The primary outcome is patient reported physical function measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 version 3. Secondary outcomes include other domains of the EORTC QLQ-C30, fatigue, physical function, physical activity levels, frailty, body composition, sarcopenia and nutrition assessment. We will also undertake a health economic analysis alongside the trial and a process evaluation exploring intervention fidelity, causal mechanisms as well as contextual influences through qualitative enquiry.

The REBOOT trial will add RCT-evidence from a rigorously conducted, statistically powered multi-site trial to existing limited knowledge on the effects of multi-disciplinary rehabilitation for people with haematological cancer. If effectiveness is supported, then implementation of rehabilitation into care pathways for people having bone marrow transplant can be considered.

ACTRN12622001071718 prospectively registered 03/08/2022, last updated 08/03/2024.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-025-13898-3.