Physical exercise interventions and telemonitoring of physical activity during or after systemic cancer treatment
An increasing number of patients are cured of cancer as a result of improved treatment possibilities. Frequent treatment-related side effects are fatigue, decrease in cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength, and reduced quality of life. An exercise program can help patients to better withstand chemotherapy. In this dissertation, Ormel investigated how the effectiveness of exercise programs can be improved in patients with cancer.
Ormel identified predictors for successful exercise adherence, such as extensive exercise history and close proximity to exercise location, and concludes that exercise programs should be personalized.
Furthermore, Ormel examined whether starting exercise during chemotherapy is preferable, rather than afterwards. Exercise during chemotherapy resulted in better maintained cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and quality of life, and patients experienced less fatigue. However, starting afterwards is a good alternative. At one-year postintervention, both groups have returned to comparable baseline levels. Moreover, a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program seems to help patients with breast cancer to become more active during hormone therapy and to comply with the national physical activity guideline. Also, positive changes were found on quality of life and treatment-related side effects.
Patients with cancer often experience barriers to participation in an exercise program. To lower the threshold, Ormel investigated whether patients with cancer that are instructed to self-monitor leisure-time activities with the RunKeeper app would become more physically active. As a result, patients engaged in more physical activity. Additional physiotherapy coaching showed no additional value. Ormel recommends to conduct more research into exercise apps and coaching to promote an active lifestyle.