Summary
This study is a small early trial to see whether a physical activity and strengthening program is practical, acceptable, and potentially helpful for children and teenagers who have recently been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
About five weeks after diagnosis, children and young people aged 5-17 will be checked for early signs of physical weakness, sometimes called frailty. This includes looking for loss of muscle strength or muscle mass, which can help quite early during treatment.
The study uses a new assessment approach that looks not only at muscle size (using ultrasound), but also at how the muscles work, such as grip strength, movement speed, stamina, and daily activity levels.
Children who show early signs of muscle loss will be randomly placed (by chance) into one of two groups:
- Usual care only, or
- Usual care plus a physical activity and strengthening program, with an activity tracker (Fitbit) to help monitor movement.
The researchers want to understand whether this type of program can be delivered easily during treatment, how families feel about it, and whether it shows early signs of benefit. The results will help design a larger future study.
Exercise is known to be safe and helpful for children, but it is usually introduced only after physical health has already declined. This study looks at whether starting earlier could help reduce the risk of ongoing weakness and fatigue.
Families can also choose whether they want to allow a blood sample to be stored for future research. This is optional and not required to take part in the main study.
Overall, the goal is to better understand why physical weakness develops during early cancer treatment and to explore ways to support children's strength, energy and everyday functioning sooner rather than later.