Progressive resistance training rebuilds lean body mass in head and neck cancer patients after radiotherapy--results from the randomized DAHANCA 25B trial.
OBJECTIVE
The critical weight loss observed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients following radiotherapy is mainly due to loss of lean body mass. This is associated with decreases in muscle strength, functional performance and Quality of Life (QoL). The present study investigated the effect of progressive resistance training (PRT) on lean body mass, muscle strength and functional performance in HNSCC patients following radiotherapy.


METHODS
Following radiotherapy HNSCC patients were randomized into two groups: Early Exercise (EE, n=20) initiated 12 weeks of PRT followed by 12 weeks of self-chosen physical activity. Delayed Exercise (DE, n=21) initiated 12 weeks of self-chosen physical activity followed by 12 weeks of PRT. Lean body mass, muscle strength, functional performance and QoL were evaluated at baseline and after week 12 and 24.


RESULTS
In the first 12 weeks lean body mass increased by 4.3% in EE after PRT and in the last 12 weeks by 4.2% in DE after PRT. These increases were significantly larger than the changes after self-chosen physical activity (p ≤ 0.005). Regardless of PRT start-up time, the odds ratio of increasing lean body mass by more than 4% after PRT was 6.26 (p<0.05). PRT significantly increased muscle strength, whereas functional performance increased significantly more than after self-chosen physical activity only after delayed onset of PRT. Overall QoL improved significantly more in EE than DE from baseline to week 12.


CONCLUSIONS
PRT effectively increased lean body mass and muscle strength in HNSCC patients following radiotherapy, irrespectively of early or delayed start-up.
Dept. of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark; Dept. of Public Health, Section for Sport Science, Aarhus University, Denmark. Electronic address: loenbro@sport.au.dk.
Simon
S
Lønbro
Ulrik
U
Dalgas
Hanne
H
Primdahl
Jørgen
J
Johansen
Jakob Lindberg
JL
Nielsen
Per
P
Aagaard
Anne Pernille
AP
Hermann
Jens
J
Overgaard
Kristian
K
Overgaard
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011788:Quality of Life; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D000077195:Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss
Exercise; Head and neck cancer; Muscle function; Muscle mass