Multimodal exercise reduced fatigue in patients on treatment, with advanced cancers

A multimodal group exercise intervention that incorporated both low- and high-intensity components helped to reduce fatigue in patients with various cancers, including those receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and those with advanced disease.

However, the research also showed that the exercise regimen did not improve the overall global health quality-of-life status.

Exercise and physical activity have been established as a treatment to reduce cancer-related fatigue. However, according to the researchers, data are lacking on reducing fatigue in patients undergoing chemotherapy and in those with advanced disease.

This study enrolled 269 participants with 21 types of cancer diagnoses. Participants had a WHO performance status of 0 or 1 and were aged 20 to 65 years.

Participants assigned to the exercise intervention received standard medical care plus a group-based exercise intervention that included both low- and high-intensity exercise. Participants in the control group received standard medical care and completed the same outcome measurements as the interventional group. Patients completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire to assess the primary outcome of fatigue.

The exercise intervention resulted in a 6.6-point decrease in measurement of fatigue on the questionnaire (95% CI, 12.3-0.9) compared with the control group. Intervention participants also had significant improvements in physical functioning, role physical, vitality, role emotional, mental health, the physical component scale and the mental component scale.

Maximum oxygen consumption and improvement in muscular strength were also greater in the participants in the intervention group compared with those in the control group.

The researchers pointed out this trial had significantly more women enrolled than men. As such, exercise training should be developed with greater appeal to men.

Adamsen L. BMJ. 2009;339:b3410. doi:10.1136/bmj.b3410.