Cancer patients have theoretically returned to a disease-free state after receiving
curative anticancer therapy, but even after receiving adjuvant concurrent
chemoradiotherapy, it does not ideally prevent all cancer recurrences. For that, several
guidelines recommend that cancer survivors participate in regular exercise. Exercise has
been thought to be associated with improved outcomes and mortality in healthy individuals
as well as in certain cancer populations. However, the most robust evidence demonstrated
in patients with prostate, breast and colorectal cancers, the effectiveness of exercise
interventions in Head and Neck cancer survivors is inadequately understood.
Aging of the immune system (so-called immunosenescence) has long been known to increase
the risk of infection, cancer, chronic inflammatory diseases and age-related
multi-morbidity in humans. In the literatures, patients with oral cavity cancer are also
believed to have the phenomenon of immune aging (immunosenescence). One of the mechanisms
that maintain cellular homeostasis and prevent immunosenescence-related damage is
autophagy, a cell-survival mechanism, and it has been proposed as one of the most
powerful antiaging therapies. Regular exercise can reestablish autophagy, probably
through AMP-activated protein kinase activation, and help in reducing the age-related
senescence diseases. At present, many research teams in cancer centers are trying to
design large-scale prospective trials to answer whether the intervention of exercise can
avoid cancer occurrence, health promotion in survivors, and prevention of recurrence.
This project focus on the integration of the basic and clinical research. The
multidisciplinary research teams include participants of the Department of Hematology and
Oncology and Department of Rehabilitation of the New Taipei City Tucheng Hospital. The
main purpose of three-year project is to investigate whether high-intensity interval
training (HIIT) along with resistance exercise intervention, which could reduce the
recurrence rate by ameliorating immunosenescence on patients with head and neck cancer.
The main tasks order by year of this project are as the following: (1) investigating the
differences of immunosenescence indicators in blood with before and after conducting
eight weeks of HIIT along with resistance exercise training for patients with head and
neck cancer (1st year plan); (2) recruiting new subjects, gathering the physical activity
at home and the cancer recurrence rate for first-year subjects, investigating the
differences of immunosenescence indicators and immune indicators in the peripheral blood,
and examining the clinical effectiveness of exercise training (2nd year plan); (3)
tracking above research materials for subjects including recruiting in the first and
second years (3rd year plan). Through the implementation of this three-year project,
investigators expect to find a safe and effective exercise prescription for patients with
oral cancer after surgery. The findings will encourage and promise and add further
support to the concept that exercise prescription is worth implementation as part of care
for the patients with head and neck cancer.