title: Effects of aerobic exercise on the physical performance and incidence of treatment-related complications after high-dose chemotherapy.
abstract: Loss of physical performance is a universal problem of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. We postulated that this impairment can be partially prevented by aerobic exercise. In a randomized study, 33 cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (training group, T) performed an exercise program consisting of biking on an ergometer in the supine position after an interval-training pattern for 30 minutes daily during hospitalization. Patients in the control group (C, n = 37) did not train. Maximal physical performance was assessed with a treadmill test by admission and discharge. Physical performance of the two groups was not different on admission. The decrement in performance during hospitalization was 27% greater in the control group than in the training group (P = .05); this resulted in a significantly higher maximal physical performance at discharge in the trained patients (P = .04). Duration of neutropenia (P = .01) and thrombopenia (P = .06), severity of diarrhea (P = .04), severity of pain (P = .01), and duration of hospitalization (P = . 03) were reduced in the training group. We conclude that aerobic exercise can be safely carried out immediately after high-dose chemotherapy and can partially prevent loss of physical performance. Based on the potential significance of the observed outcomes, further studies are warranted to confirm our results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Prevention and Sports Medicine, Freiburg University Medical Center, Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dimeo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fetscher
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mertelsmann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011788:Quality of Life