Oral Presentation 2025 Joint Meeting of the COSA ASM and IPOS Congress

Real-World Impact of Routine Exercise on Health-Related Quality of Life During Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Audit (126654)

Blake Binion 1 , Christie R Mellerick 1 , Greta Ishak 1 , Clare O'Donnell 2 , Kristen Capron 2 , Jesse Turner 1 3 , Morgan Farley 4 , Angela Mellerick 1 , Xue Wang 1 , Claire Howatt 1 , Kathryn Wallace 1 , Elizabeth Foster 1 , Irene Aardoom 1 , Tania Cushion 1 , Declan Hennessy 3 , Steve Fraser 3 , Sue Berney 2 , Josephine Stewart 1 , Umbreen Hafeez 1 , Eric Wong 1 , Genevieve Douglas 1 , Eliza Hawkes 5 , Belinda Yeo 1 , Polly Dufton 1 , Ashley Bigaran 1 5
  1. Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
  2. Physiotherapy, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
  3. School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
  4. Centre for Health Transformation, School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  5. Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute , Heidelberg, VIC, Australia

Background

People with cancer often experience adverse side effects that reduce health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Important clinical research has shown that tailored exercise training improves HRQoL; however, real-world effectiveness as part of routine oncology care is less understood. This retrospective audit evaluated the impact of exercise training on HRQoL among patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy who attended an exercise oncology service at a tertiary level hospital.

 Methods

A retrospective audit of patients undergoing chemotherapy who participated in an outpatient exercise oncology service between 2023 and 2024 were included. Patients performed twice-weekly exercise training, including moderate to vigorous aerobic and resistance training for eight weeks. Prior to and following the eight-week exercise program, HRQoL was assessed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core questionnaire (EORTC QLQc30). Cancer diagnoses, treatment type and exercise session attendance were extracted from electronic medical records.

Results

Forty-seven patients (55+12.6 years; 66% female) completed pre- and post-exercise program HRQoL questionnaires following an eight-week exercise oncology program. Primary cancer diagnoses were breast (49%), colorectal (15%) and haematological cancers (13%). Significant improvements were observed in global health status (mean difference [MD], +14.8, 95% CI 10.4–19.2; p<0.001) and functional domains including role, physical, emotional, and social functioning (all p<0.01), except for cognitive functioning (p=0.19). Multiple HRQoL symptom scales improved including fatigue (MD, -15.2, 95% CI -22.4 to -7.8; p<0.001), nausea, appetite loss, diarrhoea, and constipation (all p<0.01), other symptoms showed no significant change.

Conclusions

This audit found that an eight-week exercise oncology program was associated with significant improvements in HRQoL, including global health status, functioning and symptoms including fatigue. Despite limitations of this study design and a heterogeneous cohort, the results indicate that a routine exercise oncology service provides clinical meaningful improvements in HRQoL in patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment.