The RESTORE randomized controlled trial: Impact of a multidisciplinary rehabilitative program on cardiorespiratory fitness in esophagogastric cancer survivorship

Objective: The Rehabilitation Strategies in Esophagogastric cancer (RESTORE) randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a 12-week multidisciplinary program to increase the cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of esophagogastric cancer survivors. Background: Patients following treatment for esophagogastric cancer are at risk of physical deconditioning, nutritional compromise, and sarcopenia. Accordingly, compelling rationale exists to target these impairments in recovery. Methods: Disease-free patients treated for esophagogastric cancer were randomized to either usual care or the 12-week RESTORE program (exercise training, dietary counseling, and multidisciplinary education). The primary outcome was cardiopulmonary exercise testing (VO₂peak). Secondary outcomes included body composition (bioimpedance analysis), and HRQOL (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T0), postinter-vention (T1), and at 3-month follow-up (T2). Results: Twenty-two participants were randomized to the control group [mean (standard deviation) age 64.14 (10.46) yr, body mass index 25.67 (4.83) kg/m², time postsurgery 33.68 (19.56) mo], and 21 to the intervention group [age 67.19(7.49) yr, body mass index 25.69(4.02) kg/m², time postsurgery 23.52(15.23) mo]. Mean adherence to prescribed exercise sessions were 94(12)% (supervised) and 78(27)% (unsupervised). Correcting for baseline VO₂peak, the intervention arm had significantly higher VO₂peak at both T1, 22.20 (4.35) versus 21.41 (4.49) mL min¹ kg¹, P < 0.001, and T2, 21.75 (4.27) versus 20.74 (4.65) mL min¹ kg¹, P ¼ 0.001, compared with the control group. Correcting for baseline values, no changes in body composition or HRQOL were observed. Conclusions: The RESTORE program significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness of disease-free patients after esophagogastric cancer surgery, without compromise to body composition. This randomized controlled trial provides proof of principle for rehabilitation programs in esophagogastric cancer.