Exercise Intervention for Cancer Patients
Condition: Cancer
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Exhausting chemotherapy, adverse effects of chemotherapy and a lack of information on the
      benefits of physical exercise are the among the reasons for reduced physical exercise among
      cancer patients during chemotherapy courses. According to best current knowledge only about
      10% of cancer patients in Finland are physically active during cancer treatment. In addition,
      only 20-30% are physically active after recovery from the treatments (Pylkkänen, 2015). There
      is only little awareness about the benefits of physical activity during cancer treatments.
      The purpose of the exercise intervention study is to increase the physical activity of
      patients who are on chemotherapy.

      The study is a pilot trial and has no control group. Internationally, exercise interventions
      have been studied among cancer patients on treatment for decades. The American College of
      Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that cancer patients should have 150 minutes of endurance
      exercise per week and at least two bouts of muscle strength exercise per week. Consequently,
      the exercise intervention study will have a combination of muscle power and endurance
      training. To reach the weekly recommended level of exercise, the cancer patients in the study
      will additionally have a weekly home training program containing preferentially endurance
      training. A literature search shows that no studies on exercise interventions during cancer
      treatment have been published in Finland. Thus, this thesis carries the wider implication of
      increasing the general knowledge on the importance of physical activity of cancer patients.
    

Detailed description: 
      The duration of the exercise intervention is eight (8) weeks. There will be guided endurance
      and muscle power training two (2) time weekly. The participants will also be provided with
      one training program per week for use at home. Data on training at home and other items of
      physical activity is recorded in a diary. Before the intervention is started, an oncologist
      will examine the participants condition before brisk physical activity is started. Safety is
      an important consideration and a nurse will examine the patients before each bout of
      exercise. A nurse will be present during the entire time of the exercise. A physician is
      always available for consultations by phone.

      Before the intervention starts, baseline measurements will be made in the laboratories of
      physical exercise in the Tyks Hospital and the Turku University of Applied Sciences. At
      baseline, endurance, muscle power, balance and body composition will be evaluated and
      recorded. Endurance will be measured with a submaximal treadmill test. Muscle power will be
      assessed by a dynamic elevation test, hand pressure test, the lower extremities by repeated
      squatting-standing and by rising to stand on the toes. Balance is measured in the specific
      sway platform (one leg and both legs standing). The patients will be asked to fill
      questionnaires on quality of life (QLQ-c30) and fatigue (FACIT-F) before and after the
      intervention. The patients will fill in their exercise diaries from the very moment their
      participation has been decided until the end of the intervention. After exercise intervention
      the patients also fill the feedback-questionnaire.
    

Intervention name(s): Exercise intervention for cancer patients to increase physical activity during chemotherapy
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): The duration of the exercise intervention is eight (8) weeks. There will be guided endurance and muscle power training two (2) time weekly. The participants will also be provided with one training program per week for use at home.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Health Services Research