Title
Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 10-week resistance and aerobic exercise intervention during neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment in rectal cancer patients
Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
Sage
Place of Publication
United States
School
School of Medical & Health Sciences
Abstract
Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiation treatment (CRT) in rectal cancer patients is associated with a reduction in physical capacity, lean mass and increased fatigue. As a countermeasure to these treatment-related adverse effects, we examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 10-week exercise program during CRT. Methods: Ten rectal cancer patients (7 men, aged 27-70 years, body mass index = 26.4 ± 3.8 kg/m2) receiving CRT undertook supervised resistance and aerobic exercise twice weekly. Assessments were undertaken pre- and post-intervention for upper and lower body muscle strength by 1-RM, muscle endurance, physical performance tests, body composition by dual X-ray absorptiometry, quality of life, and fatigue. Results: There was a significant loss in appendicular skeletal muscle (−1.1 kg, P =.012), and fat mass (−0.8 kg, P =.029) following CRT. Despite the loss in skeletal muscle, leg press (P =.030) and leg extension (P =.046) strength improved by 27.2% and 22.7%, respectively, and leg press endurance by 76.7% (P =.007). Changes in strength were accompanied by improved performance (P
DOI
10.1177/1534735418781736
Access Rights
free_to_read
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Comments
Originally published as: Singh, F., Galvão, D. A., Newton, R. U., Spry, N. A., Baker, M. K., & Taaffe, D. R. (2018). Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a 10-Week Resistance and Aerobic Exercise Intervention During Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Treatment in Rectal Cancer Patients. Integrative cancer therapies, 17(3), 952-959. Original article available here.