title: Exercise preferences and associations between fitness parameters, physical activity, and quality of life in high-grade glioma patients.
abstract: Exercise has numerous benefits for cancer survivors, but very limited research to date has exclusively examined brain cancer patients, specifically those diagnosed with high-grade glioma (HGG). This study examined (1) the feasibility of recruiting HGG patients to an exercise-based study and performing fitness assessments; (2) exercise counseling and programming preferences; and (3) associations between fitness, physical activity (PA), and quality of life (QOL).
  
  
  
  Participants completed assessments prior to starting Temozolamide chemotherapy with radiation (T1), at 2 months and 8 months. Fitness was measured with an incremental cycling exercise test to volitional exhaustion (VO2peak) and hand grip dynamometry. The Godin leisure time questionnaire measured PA and the functional assessment for cancer therapy, brain cancer module (FACT-Br) measured QOL.
  
  
  
  Of the 35 approached, N = 16 participated. Due to safety concerns, the aerobic fitness test protocol was altered. Participants preferred to exercise during treatment, alone and unsupervised, at home, and at a moderate intensity. Few participants (<25%) met guidelines for PA at any time point. At T1, aerobic capacity was associated with the FACT Trial Outcome Index (TOI) (r = 0.619, p < 0.05). At 2 months, PA minutes were associated with FACT-TOI (r = 0.653, p = 0.057), FACT-G (r = 0.711, p < 0.05), and FACT-Br scores (r = 0.722, p < 0.05).
  
  
  
  Recruitment rate was similar to a previous study in HGG populations, but study completion rate was lower. Most exercise counseling and programming preferences were similar to previous brain cancer patients. Assessing aerobic fitness to VO2peakwas not feasible. Aerobic fitness and PA were positively associated with QOL.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, T2N-1N4, Canada. nculosre@ucalgary.ca.|Department of Psychosocial Resources, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada. nculosre@ucalgary.ca.|Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. nculosre@ucalgary.ca.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicole Culos-Reed
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Exercise Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Heather J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, T2N-1N4, Canada.|Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Lauren C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Capozzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Easaw
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Exercise Science, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eves
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB, T2N-1N4, Canada.
authors.forename: Guillaume Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Millet
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Exercise; Glioma; Quality of life; Surveys and questionnaires