An individualised group based exercise intervention is associated with improvements in functional performance, quality of life, and fatigue in adults with cancer — ASN Events
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An individualised group based exercise intervention is associated with improvements in functional performance, quality of life, and fatigue in adults with cancer (#819)

Morgan Atkinson 1 , Michael Osborn 2 3
  1. Centre for Physical Activity in Ageing, Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, Royal Adelaide Hospital , Northfield , Australia
  2. Youth Cancer Service SA/NT, Adelaide, Australia
  3. Department of Clinical Haematology and Oncology, Women’s and Children’s Hospital , North Adelaide, Australia

Cancer and its treatment are frequently associated with impaired physical fitness which often persists into survivorship. Physical impairments including muscle atrophy, excessive weight gain or weight loss, reduced joint range of motion and cancer-related fatigue are commonly reported side effects of cancer therapy. These symptoms often impact considerably on activities of daily living and quality of life. We evaluated the effectiveness of a group based exercise intervention on functional capacity, quality of life and fatigue in cancer patients.

We developed a group based exercise intervention for cancer patients who were either undergoing or had recently completed therapy for cancer. Participants were encouraged to attend 2-3 sessions per week at our hospital based gymnasium under close supervision by an Exercise Physiologist. Exercise programs were goal orientated and tailored to the needs of each individual. Outcome measures included Ferran’s and Power’s Quality of Life Assessment, Revised Piper Fatigue Scale, the Australian Functional Fitness Norms and Fullarton’s Functional Assessment for Older Adults. Paired t-tests were used to compare results prior to commencing and after completing the programme

296 cancer patients were enrolled between 2008 and 2012. 153 were male and 143 female with a range of cancer diagnoses. The median age was 57 years. 186 (63%) completed the 10 wk intervention. Highly significant improvements were observed in quality of life scores (Mean (± SD) = 20.5 (± 4.2) pre-intervention vs 22.8 (±3.7) post-intervention, p<0.0001), Piper fatigue scores (5.0 (± 1.9) pre-intervention vs 3.2 (± 2.0) post-intervention; p<0.0001), and in 14 of the 15 functional assessment measures.

In conclusion, the improvement in functional assessment measures indicates that the programme improves functional capacity, at least in the short-term. Furthermore, the improvements in fatigue levels and quality of life suggest that the benefits of an exercise programme extend beyond just physical fitness for cancer patients.