# A PILOT STUDY OF PREHABILITATION DURING THE NEOADJUVANT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IN OLDER WOMEN WITH OVARIAN CANCER (FIT4SURGERY)

> **NIH NIH R03** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $160,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Treatment for ovarian cancer begins with complex radical surgery in women who often are older with high rates
of frailty and comorbid conditions. This results in postoperative complications and the highest mortality
amongst all gynecologic cancers. Postoperative adverse events, such as surgical complications and hospital
readmissions, can delay the initiation of post-operative chemotherapy, leading to decreased survival. Given the
increased risk of postoperative morbidity and inferior cancer-specific survival for older women with ovarian
cancer, targeted interventions are needed to improve their outcomes. Prehabilitation refers to enhancing
functional capacity prior to an upcoming stressor, such as surgery, with the goal of improving postoperative
outcomes. Physical activity, specifically, has been found to have myriad health benefits and is a component of
many prehabilitation interventions. However, prehabilitation interventions often use prescriptive static goals of
high intensity activity delivered by health care professionals which may not be scalable and may not be
appropriate for an older frail patient population receiving chemotherapy. To address these issues, this proposal
pilot tests a home-based, symptom-tailored, physical activity intervention (Fit4Surgery) among older women
with ovarian cancer undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Interventions such as this are effective in patients
with chronic diseases and in this proposal will be tested in a novel setting and a high-risk population. By
increasing the amount of physical activity older women with ovarian cancer perform in the months prior to
debulking surgery, we aim to improve functional status and quality of life while decreasing frailty, postoperative
complications, and time to adjuvant cancer therapy, ultimately improving long-term cancer survival.
As a gynecologic oncologist with formal epidemiology training, I have a solid foundation in clinical research
with a focus on surgical quality and outcomes in women’s health. Through my research, I have identified older
women with ovarian cancer as a high-risk population and the mechanisms of physiologic aging are prevalent in
women with cancer and those undergoing chemotherapy. In order to fulfill my career goal to improve the
quality of life and survival of older women with gynecologic cancers, I am in need of further training and
mentorship in aging, geriatric assessment, and frailty assessment. This proposal will help me fill these gaps
directly through formal coursework, seminars, and mentorship by Dr McKoy (geriatrics, geriatric oncology), Dr
Simon (gynecologic malignancies and aging), Dr Phillips (physical activity in cancer, physical activity in older
adults) and Dr Kocherginsky (clinical trials of behavioral interventions). The skills, knowledge and preliminary
data, that I acquire as a result of this award will allow me examine the efficacy of the Fit4Surgery intervention
in improving surgical outcomes...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10301908
- **Project number:** 1R03AG074031-01
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Emma Barber
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $160,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10301908

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10301908, A PILOT STUDY OF PREHABILITATION DURING THE NEOADJUVANT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IN OLDER WOMEN WITH OVARIAN CANCER (FIT4SURGERY) (1R03AG074031-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10301908. Licensed CC0.

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