Physical activity for patients undergoing an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: benefits of a moderate exercise intervention

Abstract

An allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can have profound and lasting adverse effects on a patient's physical and psychological well-being. So far, only few studies have investigated the effectiveness of physical activity over the entire inpatient phase of an allogeneic HSCT.

Purpose: We performed a randomized controlled study to examine the influence of a controlled moderate exercise program starting parallel to chemotherapeutic conditioning and total body irradiation on the patient's physical and psychological constitution.

Patients and methods: Forty-seven patients undergoing an allogeneic HSCT were randomly assigned to an exercise group (EG) or a control group (CG). While the EG took part in an endurance and activity of daily living-training twice a day, the CG received the clinic's standard physiotherapy program once a day.

Results: Significant differences and/or trends in favor of the EG were observed regarding the primary endpoint endurance performance (P=0.002), muscular strength (P=0.022), fatigue (P=0.046), and emotional state (P=0.028) without posing an additional risk for the individual.

Conclusion: The results show that the training program is feasible and seems to have positive influences on physical performance and quality of life in patients undergoing an allogeneic HSCT. However, further studies are necessary to confirm these results.