# Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of Aerobic Acute Exercise Prior to Immunotherapy and Chemotherapy Infusion in Patients with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

## TL;DR

This study shows that doing aerobic exercise before cancer treatments like immunotherapy and chemotherapy is feasible and safe for lung cancer patients.

## Contribution

The study is the first to test the feasibility of acute aerobic exercise before immunochemotherapy in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients.

## Key findings

- 80.9% of participants in the exercise group completed the acute exercise sessions before treatment.
- No exercise-related adverse effects were reported, indicating the intervention is safe.
- Maintaining physical fitness through exercise was linked to reduced fatigue and insomnia, improving quality of life.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives: Recent preclinical studies suggest that acute exercise induces immune modulation, enhances tumor blood perfusion, and is associated with reduced tumor growth. Adding exercise to immunochemotherapy treatment (ICT) has been proposed as a strategy to increase treatment effectiveness. The ERICA trial (NCT04676009) aimed to assess the feasibility of acute aerobic exercise performed immediately before the administration of ICT in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (mNSCLC) and to explore hypothesis-generating outcomes related to physical fitness and patient-reported outcomes. Methods: Newly diagnosed mNSCLC patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to the exercise or control group. The exercise intervention included supervised acute exercise before each of four ICT cycles plus a 3-month home-based walking program with an activity tracker and step goals. The feasibility of the exercise protocol was assessed through adherence, acceptability, tolerability, and safety. Clinical, physical, and patient-reported outcomes were assessed at baseline and after 3 months. Results: Twenty-six patients (mean age 60.6 years; SD 10.65) participated, with an 87.5% acceptance rate. In the exercise group (n = 17), 80.9% of participants completed the acute exercise sessions, with a median interval of 38 min [IQR, 20–60] between exercise and ICT. No exercise-related adverse effects were reported. After 3 months, 60% of participants in the exercise group were classified as active and maintained their step goals. Self-reported measures suggest that maintaining physical fitness is favorable for reducing fatigue and insomnia, and therefore improving quality of life. Conclusions: Acute exercise performed immediately before each ICT administration in patients with mNSCLC appears feasible and safe.