title: Feasibility and initial effectiveness of home exercise during maintenance therapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are at increased risk of obesity and deconditioning from cancer therapy. This pilot study assessed feasibility/initial efficacy of an exercise intervention for patients with ALL undergoing maintenance therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were aged 5 to 10 years, receiving maintenance therapy, in first remission. A 6-month home-based intervention, with written and video instruction, was supervised with weekly calls from an exercise coach. Pre- and poststudy testing addressed strength, flexibility, fitness, and motor function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen patients enrolled (participation 63%). Twelve (71%) finished the intervention, completing 81.7 ± 7.2% of prescribed sessions. Improvements of 5% or more occurred in 67% for knee and 75% for grip strength, 58% for hamstring/low-back and 83% for ankle flexibility, 75% for the 6-Minute Walk Test, and 33% for performance on the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency Version 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This pilot study demonstrated that exercise intervention during ALL therapy is feasible and has promise for efficacy.
authors: Department of Pediatrics (Drs Esbenshade and Friedman), Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, Tennessee; Departments of Epidemiology and Cancer Control (Mr Smith and Drs Robison and Ness) and Oncology (Drs Jeha and Pui), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (Drs Esbenshade and Friedman), Nashville, Tennessee.
authors: Adam J
authors: AJ
authors: Esbenshade
authors: Debra L
authors: DL
authors: Friedman
authors: Webb A
authors: WA
authors: Smith
authors: Sima
authors: S
authors: Jeha
authors: Ching-Hon
authors: CH
authors: Pui
authors: Leslie L
authors: LL
authors: Robison
authors: Kirsten K
authors: KK
authors: Ness
mesh_terms: D000842:Ankle; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014743:Videotape Recording