Cancer treatment-induced alterations in muscular fitness and quality of life: the role of exercise training

Abstract

Background: Cancer survivors experience muscular weakness and reduced mobility, thereby compromising quality of life. This investigation utilized moderate prescriptive exercise to improve upper- and lower-body muscular fitness, flexibility, depression and quality of life in cancer patients.

Patients and methods: One hundred and thirty-five breast and prostate cancer survivors received cancer and medical history screening and a medical examination, as well as assessments of muscular strength (handgrip dynamometer) and endurance (bench press, lateral pull-down, leg press, shoulder press and curl-up crunch test), flexibility (Modified Sit and Reach), depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and quality of life (Quality of Life Index). Following the exercise assessments, cancer survivors trained in resistance exercise for 6 months during treatment or following treatment based on their results from the assessments and health status.

Results: Cancer survivors following treatment showed significant (P = 0.006) improvements in upper-body muscular endurance (+46.8%), lower-body muscular endurance (+67.1%), core muscular endurance (+32.5%) and flexibility (+6.2%), with concomitant improvements (P = 0.013) in depression (-25.6%) and total quality of life (+7.2%). Cancer survivors during treatment showed significant (P = 0.012) improvements in upper-body muscular endurance (+79.1%) and lower-body muscular endurance (+49.7%) while maintaining core endurance and flexibility in conjunction with improvements (P = 0.022) in depression (-43.0%) and quality of life (+11.5%).

Conclusions: Moderate-intensity individualized prescriptive exercise is a safe and efficacious means to augment muscular function and improve the quality of life of cancer survivors.