Effects of Exercise and Nutrition Interventions During Platinum Chemotherapy on Neuropathy in Patients with Gastrointestinal Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• Have a diagnosis of gastrointestinal cancer
• Be scheduled to receive platinum chemotherapy (specifically oxaliplatin or cisplatin) without other neurotoxic chemotherapy (taxanes, bortezomib, thalidomide). Patients may be enrolled before their first (preferred), second, or third infusion of neurotoxic chemotherapy
• Be able to read English
• Be >= 18 years

Exclusion Criteria

• Be performing regular exercise, which is any planned physical activity (e.g., brisk walking, aerobics, jogging, bicycling, swimming, rowing, weight lifting, resistance training, yoga, pilates, etc.) performed to increase physical fitness. To be considered exercise, physical activity should be performed 3-5 times per week for 20-60 minutes per session and should be done at a level that increases your breathing rate and causes you to break a sweat
• Have physical limitations (e.g., cardiorespiratory, orthopedic, central nervous system) that contraindicate participation in maximal physiological fitness testing and a low/moderate intensity home-based walking and progressive resistance exercise program
• Have planned surgery or radiation treatment in the 12 weeks after baseline
• EXCLUSION CRITERIA ONLY FOR PATIENTS COMPLETING MRI
• Have current or prior cancer in the spine, brainstem, or brain (to allow standard brain MRI analysis)
• Have contraindications for MRI scanning (pacemaker, ferrous metal implants, pregnancy, etc.—note that most port-a-caths are safe for MRI scanning)