Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment often report unwanted side effects: the ‘chemo brain’ or ‘chemo fog’ that affects their memory, concentration and way of thinking.

Work led by Dr Chris Gaffney is aiming to better understand the value of ‘prehabilitation’, using physical exercise and its associated health benefits to help minimise the effects of chemo brain.

“There is usually a three to four week window between a diagnosis and treatment,” explains Chris. “And this time can be used to help prepare the brain with exercise that triggers particular processes that are good for health generally. These are VEGF, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, which encourages the growth of new blood vessels; and BDNF, Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, supporting neuron growth and survival.”

A trial is just beginning among cancer patients in Lancaster’s local region, including East Lancashire Hospitals Trust, University Hospitals Morecambe Bay Trust, and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust. In collaboration with Dr Helen Nuttall, the trial will use brainwave testing to compare the cognitive function of patients using the prehabilitation approach with those who don’t, delivered by Researcher Dr Katie Hoad.

The exercise sessions in the trial are being made as practical an option as possible, for both health providers and patients, through the use of tailor-made video content — featuring a recognised UK fitness personality known as ‘Mr Motivator’ — that can be accessed at home.

“Around half of the UK’s NHS Trusts will offer some form of prehabilitation at the moment — but not for all cancers and or all situations,” said Chris. “Offering exercise sessions is expensive for hospitals, and not always convenient for patients already being expected to go into hospital regularly for appointments, tests and treatments. It can especially be a problem in a large region like ours which can mean long distances to travel in. The remote access means flexibility and much less chance that people miss appointments and fall out of the all-important routines needed to keep the exercise up.”

This article was initially featured in issue four of Lancaster University's Global Research Newsletter.

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