Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting

The Colon Health And Life-Long Exercise ChaNgE (CHALLENGE) Trial: Participant adherence to fitness assessments (#447)

Brandi Baylock 1 , H. M. Dhillon 1 , E. M. Goddard 1 , J. Turner 1 , H. Rice 1 , M. Kabourakis 1 , P. Beale 2 , S. Ackland 3 , J. Seide 3 , L. Horvath 4 , L. Spencer 4 , S. Begbie 5 , R. Coppin 5 , M. Burge 6 , A. Hanley 6 7 , G. Marx 8 , R. Canavan 8 , T. Ferguson 9 , L. Campbell 9 , C. Karapetis 10 , L. Nolan 10 , R. Ashgari 11 , R. Liakos 11 , M. Iddawela 12 , C. Tenance 12 , S. Della-Fiorentina 13 , R. VanDerMeer 13 , T. Price 14 , M. Atkinson 15 , N. Weng 16 , C. Saliba 16 , L. Chantrill 17 , L. Skinner 17 , D. Goldstein 18 , C. Tsar 18 , E. Walpole 7 , M. Moore 19 , K. Greenfield 20 , M. George 21 , L. Hill 21 , J. L. Vardy 1 2 22
  1. Centre for Medical Psychology & Evidence- based Decision-making, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  2. Concord Cancer Centre, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia
  3. Newcastle Private Hospital, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
  4. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
  5. North Coast Cancer Institute, Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia
  6. Royal Brisbane & Women’s Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  7. Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, QLD, Australia
  8. Sydney Adventist Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  9. Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
  10. Flinders Medical Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  11. Bankstown Lidcombe Hospital, Bankstown, NSW, Australia
  12. Goulburn Valley Health, Traralgon, VIC, Australia
  13. Southern Highlands Cancer Centre, Illawara, NSW, Australia
  14. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  15. Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  16. Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, NSW, Australia
  17. MacArthur Cancer Care Centre, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  18. Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  19. St Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
  20. St Vincent’s Hospital, Fitzroy, VIC, Australia
  21. Tamworth Base Hospital, Tamworth, NSW, Australia
  22. Concord Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Background:  Although there is compelling observational evidence that physical activity (PA) is strongly and inversely associated with colon cancer incidence, recurrence, and disease-specific and overall survival, this has not been tested in a randomised, controlled setting and the mechanisms are unknown. CHALLENGE is a RCT examining the effects of a 3-year PA intervention on disease-free survival in people who have completed adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer.

Aim:  To assess the adherence rates to the fitness testing at 6, 12, 24 & 36 months post randomisation in Australian participants.

Methods:  Patients randomised to the intervention and control arms in Australia were included in this analysis. The PA testing results from 19 Australian sites were reviewed to evaluate fitness testing adherence at phase I-III (0-36 months) assessment time points. Descriptive data are presented.

Results:  A total of 60 participants from19 Australian sites were included in the analysis. There was an overall adherence rate of 73% to all protocol mandated fitness assessments. 51/60 (85%) participants completed the 6-month PA assessments, 33/42 (79%) 12-month, 15/24 (63%) 24-month, and 9/14 (64%) completed the 36-month PA assessments.

Conclusions: The majority of CHALLENGE study participants are willing and able to complete the fitness assessments within the protocol-mandated time frames. While adherence to assessments appears to be decreasing over time, this is likely due to the small number of participants who have reached the 36-month assessment point to date. Strategies such as patient reminders, contact between assessments, and planning ahead are being used increase and maintain adherence rates over time.