title: The effects of exercise on pain, fatigue, insomnia, and health perceptions in patients with operable advanced stage rectal cancer prior to surgery: a pilot trial.
abstract: Promoting quality of life (QoL) is a key priority in cancer care. We investigated the hypothesis that, in comparison to usual care, exercise post-neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy/prior to surgical resection will reduce pain, fatigue, and insomnia, and will improve physical and mental health perceptions in patients with locally advanced stage rectal cancer.
  
  
  
  In this non-randomized controlled pilot trial, patients in the supervised exercise group (EG; Mage= 64 years; 64% male) and in the control group (CG; Mage= 72 years; 69% male) completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer core Quality of Life questionnaire and the RAND 36-Item Health Survey three times: pre-neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (Time 1; nEC= 24; nCG= 11), post-neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy/pre-exercise intervention (Time 2; nEC= 23; nCG= 10), and post-exercise intervention (Time 3; nEC= 22; nCG= 10). The 6-week exercise intervention was delivered in hospital and comprised of interval aerobic training. Patients trained in pairs three times per week for 30 to 40 min. Data were analyzed by Mann-Whitney tests and by Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests.
  
  
  
  No significant between-group differences in changes were found for any of the outcomes. In both groups, fatigue levels decreased and physical health perceptions increased from pre- to post-exercise intervention. Pain levels also decreased from pre- to post-exercise intervention, albeit not significantly.
  
  
  
  The findings from this study can be used to guide a more definitive trial as they provide preliminary evidence regarding the potential effects of pre-operative exercise on self-reported pain, fatigue, insomnia, and health perceptions in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
  
  
  
  This study has been registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01325909; March 29, 2011).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa, 125 University Private, Montpetit Hall Room 339, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada. jennifer.brunet@uottawa.ca.|Institut de Recherche de l'Hôpital Montfort (IRHM), Hôpital Montfort, Ottawa, ON, Canada. jennifer.brunet@uottawa.ca.|Cancer Therapeutic Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), Ottawa, ON, Canada. jennifer.brunet@uottawa.ca.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3242-5444
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brunet
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: Shaunna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.affiliation: Integrative Physiology and Critical Illness Group, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Michael P W
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Grocott
authors.affiliation: Integrative Physiology and Critical Illness Group, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Academic Unit of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Critical Care Research Area, Southampton NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Southampton, UK.|Anaesthesia and Critical Care Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Malcolm A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Integrative Physiology and Critical Illness Group, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Critical Care Research Area, Southampton NIHR Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, Southampton, UK.|Anaesthesia and Critical Care Research Unit, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jack
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000071066:Patient Reported Outcome Measures; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Advanced stage; Exercise; Experimental study design; Patient-reported outcomes; Quality of life; Rectal cancer