The Effects of an Exercise Program in Leukemia Patients

PURPOSE: To examine the feasibility of administering an in-hospital exercise program to acute leukemia patients undergoing chemotherapy. A secondary purpose explored the impact of exercise on selected physiological, psychological, and inflammatory markers. METHODS: Ten patients, aged 18 to 50 years, diagnosed with acute leukemia or newly relapsed were assessed for body weight, height, body composition (skinfolds), cardiorespiratory endurance (total minutes on bicycle ergometer at 60% heart rate reserve), dynamic muscular endurance (Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Institute protocol), fatigue (Revised Piper Fatigue Scale), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale, National Institute of Mental Health questionnaire), and quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General) at baseline (within 3 days of diagnosis) and at the end of induction phase of treatment. Blood draws were taken at baseline, midpoint, and at the end of induction for analyses of inflammatory markers (Linco Luminex assay). Combined aerobic and strength training exercises were administered 3 times per week, twice daily, for 30 minutes. Paired-samples t-tests were used for the analyses of physiological and psychological parameters. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance was used for the analyses of inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Significant improvements in cardiorespiratory endurance (P = .009, baseline 8.9 +/- 8.8 minutes, postexercise intervention 17 +/- 14.3 minutes) with significant reductions in total fatigue scores (P = .009, baseline 4.6 +/- 1.7, postexercise intervention 1.8 +/- 1.6) and depression scores (P = .023, baseline 19 +/- 11.5, postexercise intervention 12 +/- 8.2) were observed. Marginally significant decrease in interleukin-6 (IL-6; P = .059) with no significant changes in IL-10 (P = .223) or interferon-gamma (P = .882) were observed. CONCLUSION: Administration of exercise to acute leukemia patients undergoing treatment is feasible. The exercise protocol used increased cardiovascular endurance, reduced fatigue and depression scores, and maintained quality of life. Although no significant change in inflammation was observed, a trend demonstrating a reduction in IL-6 and an increase in IL-10 warrants further investigation

Exercise in Patients With Breast Cancer and Healthy Controls: Energy Substrate Oxidation and Blood Lactate Responses

The aim of this study was to compare select aspects of exercise energy metabolism in patients with breast cancer with that of healthy controls across a variety of exercise intensities. Posttreated patients with breast cancer were matched with healthy women based on age, physical fitness level, and menopausal status. Subjects participated in low-, moderate-, and high-intensity submaximal exercise sessions that corresponded with 40% of maximal oxygen consumption

The Role of Teamwork and Peer Mentoring in Undergraduate Research: An Archaeological Case Study

Archaeological projects can be an excellent way to involve undergraduate students in research. Rather than working in isolation, students work together in teams, learning and sharing knowledge. Knowing how to work in a team is crucial for the workplace and research. Additionaly, it allows for an open environment in which individuals can exchange thoughts, beliefs, and knowledge without apprehesion. Together, teamwork and peer mentoring enhances student engagement as well as affords them opportunities for research development

Improving muscular endurance with the MVe Fitness Chair™ in breast cancer survivors: A feasibility and efficacy study

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and efficacy of delivering Pilates exercises for resistance training to breast cancer survivors using the MVe Fitness Chair™. Design: Pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods: Twenty-six female breast cancer survivors were randomized to use the MVe Fitness Chair™ (n = 8), traditional resistance training (n = 8), or a control group (no exercise) (CO) (n = 10). The MVe Fitness Chair™ and traditional resistance training groups completed 8 weeks of exercise. Muscular endurance was assessed pre and post-test for comparisons within and between groups using push ups, curl ups, and the Dynamic Muscular Endurance Test Battery for Cancer Patients of Various Ages. Results: Feasibility of the MVe Fitness Chair™ was good, evidenced by over 80% adherence for both exercise groups and positive narrative feedback. Significant improvements in muscular endurance were observed in the MVe Fitness Chair™ (p \u3c 0.002) and traditional resistance training groups (p \u3c 0.001), but there were no differences in improvement between the MVe Fitness Chair™ and traditional resistance training groups (p \u3c 0.711) indicating that Pilates and traditional resistance training may be equally effective at improving muscular endurance in this population. Conclusions: The MVe Fitness Chair™ is feasible for use in breast cancer survivors. It appears to promote similar improvements in muscular endurance when compared to traditional resistance training, but has several advantages over traditional resistance training, including cost, logistics, enjoyment, and ease of learning

Comparison of body composition assessment methods in breast cancer survivors

Purpose/Objectives: To examine and compare the reliability of four body composition methods commonly used in assessing breast cancer survivors. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: A rehabilitation facility at a university-based comprehensive cancer center in the southeastern United States. Sample: 14 breast cancer survivors aged 40-71 years. Methods: Body fat (BF) percentage was estimated via bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA), air displacement plethysmography (ADP), and skinfold thickness (SKF) using both three- and seven-site algorithms, where reliability of the methods was evaluated by conducting two tests for each method (test 1 and test 2), one immediately after the other. An analysis of variance was used to compare the results of BF percentage among the four methods. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to test the reliability of each method. Main Research Variable: BF percentage. Findings: Significant differences in BF percentage were observed between BIA and all other methods (three-site SKF, p 0.05) in BF percentage between three-site SKF, seven-site SKF, and ADP were observed. ICCs between test 1 and test 2 for each method were BIA = 1, ADP = 0.98, three-site SKF = 0.99, and seven-site SKF = 0.94. Conclusions: ADP and both SKF methods produce similar estimates of BF percentage in all participants, whereas BIA overestimated BF percentage relative to the other measures. Caution is recommended when using BIA as the body composition method for breast cancer survivors who have completed treatment but are still undergoing adjuvant hormonal therapy. Implications for Nursing: Measurements of body composition can be implemented very easily as part of usual care and should serve as an objective outcome measure for interventions designed to promote healthy behaviors among breast cancer survivors. - See more at: https://onf.ons.org/onf/38/4/comparison-body-composition-assessment-methods-breast-cancer-survivors#sthash.5djfTS1Q.dpu

Can counseling add value to an exercise intervention for improving quality of life in breast cancer survivors? A feasibility study

Background: Improved survivorship has led to increased recognition of the need to manage the side effects of cancer and its treatment. Exercise and psychological interventions benefit survivors; however, it is unknown if additional benefits can be gained by combining these two modalities. Objective: Our purpose was to examine the feasibility of delivering an exercise and counseling intervention to 43 breast cancer survivors, to determine if counseling can add value to an exercise intervention for improving quality of life (QOL) in terms of physical and psychological function. Methods: We compared exercise only (Ex), counseling only (C), exercise and counseling (ExC), and usual care (UsC) over an 8 week intervention. Results: In all, 93% of participants completed the interventions, with no adverse effects documented. There were significant improvements in VO2max as well as upper body and lower body strength in the ExC and Ex groups compared to the C and UsC groups (P \u3c .05). Significant improvements on the Beck Depression Inventory were observed in the ExC and Ex groups, compared with UsC (P \u3c .04), with significant reduction in fatigue for the ExC group, compared with UsC, and no significant differences in QOL change between groups, although the ExC group had significant clinical improvement. Limitations: Limitations included small subject number and study of only breast cancer survivors. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that a combined exercise and psychological counseling program is both feasible and acceptable for breast cancer survivors and may improve QOL more than would a single-entity intervention

Exercise and psychosocial interventions in breast cancer survivors: Preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial

Physical and psychological decline is common in the post-treatment breast cancer population, yet the efficacy of concurrent interventions to meet both physical- psychosocial needs in this population has not been extensively examined. PURPOSE: This study explores the effects of a combined exercise and psychosocial intervention model on selected physiological-psychological parameters in post-treated breast cancer. METHODS: Forty-one breast cancer survivors were randomly assigned to one of four groups for an 8-week intervention: exercise only [EX, n=13] (aerobic and resistance training), psychosocial therapy only [PS, n=11] (biofeedback), combined EX and PS [EX+PS, n=11], or to control conditions [CO, n=6]. Mean delta score (post-intervention - baseline) were calculated for each of the following: body weight, % body fat (skin folds), predicted VO2max (Modified Bruce Protocol), overall dynamic muscular endurance [OME] (RMCRI protocol), static balance (Single leg stance test), dynamic balance (360° turn and 4-square step test), fatigue (Revised Piper Scale), and quality of life (FACT-B). A one-way ANOVA was used to analyze the preliminary results of this on-going randomized trial. RESULTS: Overall, there were significant differences in the delta scores for predicted VO2max, OME, and dynamic balance among the 4 groups (p<0.05). The EX+PS group showed a significant improvement in VO2max compared with the PS group (4.2 ± 3.8 vs. -0.9 ± 4.2 mL/kg/min; p<0.05). Both the EX+PS and EX groups showed significant improvements in OME compared with the PS and CO groups (44.5 ± 23.5 and 43.4 ± 22.1 vs. -3.9 ± 15.2 and 2.7 ± 13.7 repetitions; p<0.05). All 3 intervention groups showed significant improvements in dynamic balance compared with the CO group (-0.8 ± 0.6, -0.6 ± 0.8, and -0.6 ±1.0 vs. 0.6 ± 0.6 seconds; p<0.05). Overall, changes in fatigue tended towards significance among the 4 groups (p = 0.08), with decreased fatigue in the intervention groups and increased fatigue in the CO group. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary findings suggest that EX and PS seem to produce greater positive changes in the outcome measures than CO. However, at this point no definite conclusions can be made on the additive effects of combining the EX and PS interventions