Project HERO: Health Empowerment & Recovery Outcomes
Project HERO is a 12-week study of the efficacy of Body Mind Training (BMT, i.e. Tai Chi and Qigong in this project) for reducing fatigue in male cancer survivors. This 3-arm randomized clinical trial will examine inflammatory biology and selected gene-expression pathways that are hypothesized to contribute to the intervention's effect.
Checked against the public recordLast updated Jul 7, 2026 · Source: ClinicalTrials.gov
What this study is about
- Purpose
- Supportive Care
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Sponsor
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Interventions being studied
- Behavioral: Body Mind Training (BMT); Behavioral: Body Training (BT):; Behavioral: Usual Care (UC)
How this study is categorized
These labels come from structured fields and exact terms in the public record.
Who may be able to participate
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 55 years * Previous diagnosis of local, regional, or metastatic cancer. If treated for cancer, prostate cancer therapy completed, 3+ months. If on ADT/ hormone manipulation, must be for 4 or more months * Previous diagnosis of small intestine, thyroid, oral, non-muscle invasive bladder, kidney/renal, lung, colon, rectum, soft tissue, or other cancer * Meet study criteria for fatigue: Medical Health Outcome Study Short Form Vitality/Fatigue subscale (SF-36 Vitality scale-4 items; 5 Likert scale) using a fatigue cut-off value of ≤13; or the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Fatigue scale (PROMIS Fatigue scale) using a cut-off value of ≥9 * Live within 75 miles of New Brunswick or Newark * Inactive (\<150 minutes of vigorous exercise/week within the past 3 months) * Has transportation to attend on-site classes and assessments Exclusion Criteria: * Patient Health Questionnaire PHQ-9 Score \>12 * Indication of suicidality from PHQ-9 reports that he has several or more days of "thoughts that you would be better off dead, or of hurting yourself." * Karnofsky performance status score of 50 or below * Current regular practice within the past year (2-3 times a week over a period of two months that is not interrupted) of BMT or other complementary and alternative medicine that shares similar principles of BMT. * Inability to speak and read English proficiently * Unable to understand informed consent * Current health conditions that may interfere with the intervention: respiratory, cardiovascular, or neurological problems unless released by a physician * Medical conditions or activities that can cause severe fatigue: Severe hearing loss that would cause difficulty following an instructor in a group setting, chronic fatigue syndrome, current major depression, alcohol use disorder, shift work * Prostate cancer that has metastasized to the liver, brain, or lungs * Currently receiving chemotherapy with VePesid, Cytoxan, Enzalutamide (XTANDI®), intravenous chemotherapy or radionucleotides (Strontium-89, Samarium (Quadramet®), Radium-223 (Xofigo®)), or other therapy (as confirmed by study team) * Unwilling to be randomized to study arms and/or commit to 12 weeks of classes and assessments * Have had a diagnosis of another cancer, unless: * Non-melanoma skin cancer or * Completed treatment AND cancer-free for 5 or more years. We will not include any of the following special populations: * Adults unable to consent * Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers) * Pregnant women * Prisoners
Important: This is the sponsor’s public criteria, not a determination of eligibility. The study team must review your individual situation.
U.S. locations
- Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick, New Jersey
Source and freshness
Processed from ClinicalTrials.gov. Last public update: Jul 7, 2026. Always confirm current availability with the study team.