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Effects of supervised exercise on progression-free survival in lymphoma patients: an exploratory follow-up of the HELP Trial

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Abstract

Purpose

Few randomized controlled trials in exercise oncology have examined survival outcomes. Here, we report an exploratory follow-up of progression-free survival (PFS) from the Healthy Exercise for Lymphoma Patients (HELP) Trial.

Methods

The HELP Trial randomized 122 lymphoma patients between 2005 and 2008 to either control (n = 62) or 12 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise (n = 60). PFS events were abstracted from medical records in 2013. In addition to the randomized comparison, we explored the effects of exercise adherence (<80 % vs. ≥80 %) and control group crossover (no vs. yes).

Results

After a median follow-up of 61 months (interquartile range 36–67), the adjusted 5-year PFS was 64.8 % for the exercise group compared with 65.0 % for the control group (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.01, 95 % CI 0.51–2.01, p = 0.98). In the secondary analysis, the adjusted 5-year PFS was 59.0 % in the control group without crossover compared with 69.2 % for the control group with crossover (HR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.22–2.06, p = 0.49), 67.7 % for the exercise group with <80 % adherence (HR 0.72, 95 % CI 0.28–1.85, p = 0.50), and 68.4 % for the exercise group with ≥80 % adherence (HR 0.70, 95 % CI 0.32–1.56, p = 0.39). In a post hoc analysis combining the three groups that received supervised exercise, the adjusted 5-year PFS for the supervised exercise groups was 68.5 % compared with 59.0 % for the group that received no supervised exercise (HR 0.70, 95 % CI 0.35–1.39, p = 0.31).

Conclusions

This exploratory follow-up of the HELP Trial suggests that supervised aerobic exercise may be associated with improved PFS in lymphoma patients. Larger trials designed to answer this question are needed.

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Acknowledgments

The research for this article was funded by a grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation. KSC is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program. CMF is supported by Health Senior Scholar Awards from Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions and the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Breast Cancer Chair. TR is Canadian Cancer Society Research Chair at the University of New Brunswick.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, E-488 Van Vliet Center, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H9, Canada

    Kerry S. Courneya, Jennifer J. Crawford & Mary K. Norris

  2. Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Christine M. Friedenreich

  3. School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Conrado Franco-Villalobos

  4. Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Neil Chua & Sanraj Basi

  5. Cross Cancer Institute, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Neil Chua & Sanraj Basi

  6. Department of Oncology, Saint John Regional Hospital, Saint John, NB, Canada

    Tony Reiman

  7. Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, NB, Canada

    Tony Reiman

  8. Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada

    Tony Reiman

Authors
  1. Kerry S. Courneya
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  2. Christine M. Friedenreich
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  3. Conrado Franco-Villalobos
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  4. Jennifer J. Crawford
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  5. Neil Chua
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  6. Sanraj Basi
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  7. Mary K. Norris
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  8. Tony Reiman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerry S. Courneya.

Additional information

Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00111865.

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Courneya, K.S., Friedenreich, C.M., Franco-Villalobos, C. et al. Effects of supervised exercise on progression-free survival in lymphoma patients: an exploratory follow-up of the HELP Trial. Cancer Causes Control 26, 269–276 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0508-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0508-x

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