Strength Training Exercise for Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
Tests a supervised exercise program in children newly diagnosed with these blood cancers.
Key facts
- Who runs it
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Where
- Chapel Hill, United StatesSee the site
- Trial code
- Registry title
- Strength Training Exercise in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (STEP-ALL)
- Status
- Recruiting
- People taking part
- 40 people, planned
- Started
- 1 May 2026
- Expected to end
- 1 Jun 2028
- Type of study
- Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
- Treatments tested
- Exercises
- Record updated
- 3 August 2026
Who can take part
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for children and young people newly diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma. They test a 9-week exercise program during the first phase of chemotherapy.
- Age
- 6 to 21 years old at diagnosis. Caregivers must be 18 or older, with a child under 18.
- Sex
- All sexes can join.
- Disease stage
- Newly diagnosed B-cell or T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or lymphoblastic lymphoma.
- Earlier treatment
- Children must be getting standard 3-4 drug induction chemotherapy. They must not get any investigational or additional anti-cancer medicines during induction.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Getting investigational or additional anti-cancer medicines during induction
- A serious other disease, illness, psychiatric disorder or social issue that could harm safety or get in the way of the study
The registry criteria, word for word
Show all 8 criteriaShow less
Who can take part
- All subjects must meet the following criteria:
- Written informed consent obtained to participate in the study and HIPAA authorization for release of personal health information. OR Written assent and parental/legal guardian consent
- Age >= 6 and < =21 years at the time of diagnosis
- Newly- diagnosed with one of the following diseases: B-cell or T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or Lymphoblastic Lymphoma
- Written informed consent to participate in the caregiver interviews
- The caregiver must be a parent or legal guardian ≥ 18 years old, and their child must be <18 years
Who cannot take part
- Subjects must not be receiving any investigational or additional anti-cancer medicines during induction
- Significant concurrent disease, illness, or psychiatric disorder or social issue that would compromise subject safety or adherence to the protocol treatment or procedures, interfere with consent, study participation, follow-up, or interpretation of the study results; Optional caregiver participation:
Where in United States
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterChapel Hill, United StatesContact: Juanita CuffeeTaking people
About the trial
What the trial wants to find out
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and, along with lymphoblastic lymphoma, represents the most common group of childhood lymphoid malignancies. Survival rates have improved over the years, but many children still experience long-term side effects from treatment. These can include tiredness, weak muscles, pain, nerve problems, difficulty moving, and other physical challenges. Many children with ALL are also overweight at diagnosis, and weight gain often continues during treatment. As a result, about half of childhood leukemia survivors have a BMI at or above the 85th percentile.
Read full original descriptionShow less
Treatment decisions are usually based on a child's symptoms and genetic risk factors. However, some risk factors such as physical activity can be modified. Exercise during treatment may help children feel better and may even improve survival. However, research on early symptom tracking and structured exercise during the first phase of chemotherapy is limited, uses different methods, and often does not include reliable patient-reported symptoms.
Effective exercise programs for children with ALL and lymphoblastic lymphoma need to consider the child's age, treatment side effects, motivation, family support, and ways to encourage long-term behavior change. Because children spend little time in the hospital during the induction phase, a mix of in-person and virtual sessions supported by real-time Zoom instruction can make it possible to offer safe and supervised exercise at home.
This study will use a guided exercise plan that includes tools to track sets, repetitions, intensity, warm-up time, and perceived exertion. These tools help with consistent monitoring and support both patients and caregivers throughout the program. Twenty children newly diagnosed with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma who receive standard 3-4 drug induction chemotherapy will be invited to participate. Our goal is to determine whether a 9-week hybrid exercise program, combined with weekly symptom check-ins, is practical and achievable in both hospital and home settings.
The 2 groups in the trial
- Children with Acute lymphoblastic lymphoma or Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)Treatment being tested
Children diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute lymphoblastic lymphoma who are medically able to exercise will be eligible to join the exercise program.
Treatment: Exercises
- Caregivers of Children with Acute lymphoblastic lymphoma or Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)No study treatment, for comparison
Caregivers of Children diagnosed with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) or acute lymphoblastic lymphoma who are medically able to exercise will be eligible to join the exercise program.
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorData and sources
- Registry record
- Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
- Official title
- Strength Training Exercise in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (STEP-ALL)
- Plain-language title
- Strength Training Exercise for Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or Lymphoblastic LymphomaGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
- AI summary
- From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 12 November 2026.
- Record updated
- 3 August 2026