How Easy-to-Follow Exercises Can Help Cancer Patients With Anxiety While Receiving Chemotherapy

Cancer is one of the main causes of death, and this study looks at how light exercise and stretching might reduce anxiety in patients receiving chemotherapy. The research took place in a hospital's daily care unit and used a study design where each patient was compared to themselves, measuring anxiety before and after the exercise program.

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Key information

Conditions

Cancer Behavior Exercise Motor Activity Neoplasms Stress

Age range

18 year–90 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

General Oncological Hospital of Kifisia Oi Agioi Anargyroi

Athens, Kifissia, 14564, Greece

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Adult patients (>18 years old) with cancer receiving chemotherapy
Signed patient consent

Exclusion criteria

The denial of the patient
The occurrence of side effects from the treatment (such as dizziness, nausea, severe fatigue)
Patients with low cognitive level where they could not follow simple instructions
Patients with hearing disorders that prevented them from following simple instructions
Patients who could not mobilize independently.

Treatment and study plan

Mild Exercise and stretches

Other

For 15 minutes the patient received an individualized mild workout program intending to relax and relieve some of his stress. The workout includes deep breaths, easy-to-do exercises, and stretches from lying on the bed, sitting in a chair, or standing. I always followed the patient's tempo and provided him with as many breaks as he needed.

Primary outcomes

The Change in the Anxiety Assessment Scale (STAI-State) for Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Doing Mild Exercises and Stretches

Time frame: Baseline and approximately 20 minutes post-intervention

The STAI-State (Greek version, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory -STAI-) will be used to assess anxiety levels in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, before and after a brief exercise intervention. The STAI-State scale has a 20-item questionnaire where individuals rate how they feel at a particular moment on a scale from "not at all" to "very much so." "Not at all" equal to 1, "Somewhat" to 2, "Moderately so" to 3, "Very much so" to 4. Scores are submitted and range from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating greater anxiety. No subscale is required to compute At baseline (Time = 0 minutes), participants complete the STAI-State scale. They then engage in a 15-minute mild exercise and stretching program tailored to their physical condition. In some cases, particularly among younger participants, the session may be conducted in small groups of up to 2 individuals. Immediately post-intervention (approximately 20 minutes from baseline), participants complete the STAI-State scale again.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Christine Mavrogiannopoulou

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Mild Exercise While Receiving Chemotherapy on the Psychology of the Cancer Patient

Important dates

Study start: 2024
Primary completion: 2025
Study completion: 2025
First posted: Apr 24, 2025
Registry last updated: Aug 1, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed