At Icon Cancer Centre London (CCL), the team is piloting new exercise approaches with patients to better understand the impact during treatment.
A 13-week pilot of personalised exercise programs, delivered in partnership with FitMed was recently run at CCL for haematology patients with advanced disease undergoing chemotherapy.
The program was delivered remotely through FitMed’s Connected Clinical Care infrastructure aided by wearable technology, allowing patients to receive tailored guidance on exercise, recovery, and fatigue management.
The pilot successfully demonstrated substantial gains in patient function, resilience, and treatment tolerance – without requiring more time at the centre, in-person home visits, or public health burden on hospitals or clinics.
The results were striking. Patients reported improved treatment tolerance, greater strength, fitness, and energy, with measurable improvements in resilience, mood, and overall health. Importantly, the program also enhanced compliance with ongoing treatment, proving that structured exercise can be both safe and transformative, even during intensive chemotherapy.
CEO FitMed, Cully Cullinan said, “What makes this possible is the combined capability of FitMed and Icon — amplifying treatment outcomes and extending care beyond the clinic. Together, we’ve been able to give patients personalised precision treatment programs, support, and tools that make a real difference during cancer care. It’s this blend of innovation, collaboration, and patient agency that makes the approach so powerful.”
CEO Icon Europe, Aldo Rolfo adds, “The collaboration between Icon Cancer Centre London and FitMed is a great demonstration of the positive clinical outcomes achieved when innovation is tailored to patient needs. We are very proud to be able to offer personalised precision exercise as a structured clinical treatment to more patients as we expand our footprint in the UK and Europe.”
Exercise (also termed as Precision Exercise Oncology in this context) is increasingly being prescribed within personalised cancer treatment plans, providing real benefits for patients around the world.
Clinical Oncologist and Icon Cancer Centre UK Chief Medical Officer, Dr Penny Kechagioglou, an advocate for this contemporary approach to care, is pleased to see this evolution in advice adding “the benefits of carefully planned exercise are clear”.
“The practice among medical professionals has traditionally been one of caution; we haven’t routinely advised cancer patients on exercise, often directing them towards rest, particularly during chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments,” said Dr Kechagioglou.
“However, this stance is undergoing a transformation, driven by research evidence, affirming the multifaceted benefits of exercise for cancer patients, including overall survival benefits¹.”
Some of the benefits of exercise impact not only patients, but also healthcare systems. Studies from UK NHS providers demonstrated decreased hospital length of stay by 1.4 days and admissions by 8%, through a combination of aerobic, resistance and balance training².
Icon Group’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, A/Prof Matthew Foote adds:
“Our own research on individually prescribed outpatient exercise programs, supports that this should be considered part of our complementary treatments for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Participants in moderate intensity weekly exercise³ show significant improvements in quality of life, functional well-being, mood, fitness, balance and body strength.”
Further data confirms that exercise during breast cancer treatment can lessen fatigue and improve physical fitness⁴. And a supervised exercise program consisting of aerobic and resistance exercise can significantly reduce toxicity from prostate cancer treatment, improving social functioning and mental health⁵.
However, the one-size-fits-all approach to exercise does not suffice in the complex and varied landscape of cancer care.
“Patients are at different stages of treatment for different types of cancers,” Dr Kechagioglou highlights.
“While some may be well-informed about how to incorporate exercise into their treatment, others, such as those with bone secondaries, may require a more tailored approach.”
Dr Kechagioglou explains that clinical exercise in cancer care takes different shapes and forms and both aerobic and resistance exercise can improve physical and mental wellbeing. Additionally, research is showing that bespoke ‘exercise prescriptions’ can reduce the impact of treatment side effects and support faster recovery.
FitMed Clinical Advisor, Professor Robert Newton agrees and reflects on the program at CCL. “Tailored clinical exercise prescriptions completed prior, during and post chemotherapy and radiation therapy actually increase the effectiveness of these treatments through a range of well-established mechanisms. This benefit was clearly evident during the pilot, with patients completing a highly specific bout of priming exercise immediately before commencement of their infusion.”
As the program grows, Icon and FitMed hope more patients will benefit from personalised exercise alongside their treatment. By extending support beyond the clinic, the partnership aims to give patients practical tools that improve recovery, build resilience, and enhance everyday life during cancer care.
“Our focus is always on helping people get the most out of their therapy and themselves,” said Cully. “This program is about helping patients respond better to cancer treatment and making a real difference to their overall health and wellbeing.”
Aldo concludes, “Working together with FitMed allows us to provide patients with another layer of personalised care. We’re proud to expand this approach so more people across the UK and Europe can access the benefits of exercise as part of their treatment.”
Find out more about this topic and the research in this space in a recent episode of the CancerTalk podcast co-hosted by Dr Penny Kechagioglou:
1 NEJM 2025;393: 13-25
2 British Journal of Sports Medicine 2024;58: 97-109
3 Taylor & Francis Online https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638288.2023.2221041
4 Cochrane Library, Furmaniak AC, Menig M and Markes MH, 2016
5 BJU International, 115 (2);2014: 256-266
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