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Strength Training Exercise in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (STEP-ALL)

NCT07634653 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 40

Last updated 2026-08-03

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and, along with lymphoblastic lymphoma, represents the most common group of childhood lymphoid malignancies. Survival rates have improved over the years, but many children still experience long-term side effects from treatment. These can include tiredness, weak muscles, pain, nerve problems, difficulty moving, and other physical challenges. Many children with ALL are also overweight at diagnosis, and weight gain often continues during treatment. As a result, about half of childhood leukemia survivors have a BMI at or above the 85th percentile.

Treatment decisions are usually based on a child's symptoms and genetic risk factors. However, some risk factors such as physical activity can be modified. Exercise during treatment may help children feel better and may even improve survival. However, research on early symptom tracking and structured exercise during the first phase of chemotherapy is limited, uses different methods, and often does not include reliable patient-reported symptoms.

Effective exercise programs for children with ALL and lymphoblastic lymphoma need to consider the child's age, treatment side effects, motivation, family support, and ways to encourage long-term behavior change. Because children spend little time in the hospital during the induction phase, a mix of in-person and virtual sessions supported by real-time Zoom instruction can make it possible to offer safe and supervised exercise at home.

This study will use a guided exercise plan that includes tools to track sets, repetitions, intensity, warm-up time, and perceived exertion. These tools help with consistent monitoring and support both patients and caregivers throughout the program. Twenty children newly diagnosed with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma who receive standard 3-4 drug induction chemotherapy will be invited to participate. Our goal is to determine whether a 9-week hybrid exercise program, combined with weekly symptom check-ins, is practical and achievable in both hospital and home settings.

Conditions

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exercises

Participants will follow a strength-training routine using rubber resistance bands and their own body weight, completing exercises at least three times per week and recording the time spent on their study form. They will receive ongoing support through optional Zoom or phone check-ins, with the choice to join group online sessions or complete supervised sessions individually. The intervention begins Day 8 and continues through Consolidation Day 29.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Thomas Alexander, MD, MPH · UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
6 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-05-01
Primary Completion
2028-06-01
Completion
2028-06-01

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07634653 on ClinicalTrials.gov