Implementing exercise in cancer care: study protocol to evaluate a community-based exercise program for people with cancer.
BACKGROUND
Clinical research has established the efficacy of exercise in reducing treatment-related side-effects and increasing wellbeing in people with cancer. Major oncology organisations have identified the importance of incorporating exercise in comprehensive cancer care but information regarding effective approaches to translating evidence into practice is lacking. This paper describes the implementation of a community-based exercise program for people with cancer and the protocol for program evaluation.


METHODS
The Life Now Exercise program is a community-based exercise intervention designed to mitigate and rehabilitate the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment and improve physical and psychosocial wellbeing in people with cancer. Involvement in the program is open to people with any diagnosis of cancer who are currently receiving treatment or within 2 years of completing treatment. The 3-month intervention consists of twice weekly group-based exercise sessions administered in community exercise clinics under the supervision of exercise physiologists trained to deliver the program. Evaluation of the program involves measures of uptake, safety, adherence and effectiveness (including cost effectiveness) as assessed at the completion of the program and 6 months follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
To bridge the gap between research and practice, the Life Now Exercise program was designed and implemented to provide people with cancer access to evidence-based exercise medicine. The framework for program implementation and evaluation offers insight into the development of feasible, generalizable and sustainable supportive care services involving exercise. Community-based exercise programs specifically designed for people with cancer are necessary to facilitate adherence to international guidelines advising patients to participate in high-quality exercise.


BACKGROUND
ACTRN12616001669482 (retrospectively registered 5 Dec 2016).
Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, Level 6, 215 Spring Street, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia. prue.cormie@acu.edu.au.|Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia. prue.cormie@acu.edu.au.
Prue
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3446-2698
P
Cormie
Cancer Council Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Stephanie
S
Lamb
Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.|University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Robert U
RU
Newton
Cancer Council Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Lani
L
Valentine
Cancer Council Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Sandy
S
McKiernan
Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.|Cancer Centre, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
Nigel
N
Spry
Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.|Cancer Centre, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
David
D
Joseph
Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.|School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
Dennis R
DR
Taaffe
Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.|School Human Health and Social Sciences, Central Queensland University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
Christopher M
CM
Doran
Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
Daniel A
DA
Galvão
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions / Q000517:prevention & control; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015397:Program Evaluation
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
Cancer survivorship; Exercise; Physical activity; Supportive care; Translation