Association between physical activity, performance scores, and clinical trial enrollment in cancer survivors

To investigate the association between patient-reported habitual physical activity (PA) and physician-assessed physical performance scores, specifically the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, and experimental therapeutic clinical trial enrollment in adult cancer survivors.

This was a secondary data analysis of patient-reported and clinical cancer data from the Total Cancer Care (TCC) cohort at the Huntsman Cancer Institute between 2016 and 2022. Patients completed a modified Godin questionnaire to assess average weekly PA (MET/hrs-week) for the previous 12 months. A demographics questionnaire collected information on sex, race, ethnicity, education level, and income status. ECOG performance scores were retrieved from the medical record and classified as either "Good" (ECOG of 0 or 1) or "Poor" (ECOG of 2, 3 or 4) physical function. Binary logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship between PA levels (total PA, moderate-vigorous PA, and light PA) and ECOG ratings, and PA levels and clinical trial enrollment (yes/no). Models were adjusted for demographics and cancer characteristics.

Patients who completed the TCC questionnaire packet (n = 603) were primarily female (51%), non-Hispanic (95%), white (95%) with an average age of 61.9 ± 15.5 years. The top three cancer types represented were Head and Neck (30%), Thyroid (24%), and Lung (24%); all cancer stages were represented. Higher PA levels were linked with increased odds of having a good ECOG rating in unadjusted models (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02), but not in adjusted models (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.03). Higher levels of light PA were linked with greater odds of having good ECOG rating in unadjusted and adjusted models (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.11; OR 1.072, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.13; respectively). Statistically significant associations were not observed between moderate-vigorous PA and ECOG rating, and PA and clinical trial enrollment.

Patient-reported light PA may serve utility in physician decision making of ECOG rating. More work is needed identifying patient centered subjective and objective tools to complement physician-assessed ECOG scores considering the implications of ECOG in cancer treatment decisions and eligibility for clinical trials.