Digestive Tract Cancer and CIPN

The Effects of Remote Exercise Program in Patients With Digestive Tract Cancer and Chemotherapy-induced Peripheral Neuropathy

According to the incidence rate of cancer, the digestive tract cancer accounts for two of the top ten cancers. It also accounts for half of the top ten causes of cancer death. Chemotherapy remains one of the most common forms of cancer treatment, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is one of the common adverse effects of cancer treatment in cancer survivors. To date, there is no exercise guideline established for patients with CIPN; therefore, CIPN remains quite threatening to cancer survivors. Due to limited studies on effects of exercise on improvement of CIPN symptoms in patients with digestive tract cancers, this study aims to investigate the effects of exercise and different intervention delivery modes (remote home exercise and exercise under supervision) at different time points on the CIPN symptoms, body inflammatory index, physical function, and quality of life of gastrointestinal cancer survivors with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 20 and above;
2. Diagnosed by a physician with gastrointestinal cancer and has undergone chemotherapy or is currently undergoing chemotherapy;
3. Diagnosed by a physician with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Cognitive impairment or inability to cooperate with verbal instructions;
2. Neurological, muscular, skeletal, or cardiovascular issues preventing participation in exercise training;
3. Age 80 or above;
4. Refusal to engage in exercise intervention or participate in data collection.