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Aerobic exercise as additive palliative treatment for a patient with advanced hepatocellular cancer

Aerobes Ausdauertraining als additive palliative Behandlungsmöglichkeit für einen Patienten mit fortgeschrittenem hepatozellulärem Karzinom

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Summary

Aerobic exercise is known to improve biopsychosocial outcomes in cancer patients. Currently, exercise is not regarded as a quality-of-life intervention for patients with advanced cancer. The aim of this case study was to determine the feasibility and effects of an aerobic exercise programme for a patient with advanced hepatocellular cancer.

After written informed consent, a 55-year-old male patient with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma participated in an aerobic exercise programme of precise intensity, duration and frequency, consisting of ergometer cycling 2 times a week, carried out for a period of 6 weeks. Exercise testing and a 6-min walk were performed, and the patient’s quality of life was assessed.

The feasibility, safety and beneficial effects of the programme were proven for this patient. At the end of the exercise programme, peak work capacity had increased by 20.3%. The patient has experienced an improvement in physical performance, which was underlined by the 6-min walk. Quality of life has been improved (physical functioning, vitality, mental health, role functioning/ emotional, social functioning).

Knowledge about the benefits of aerobic exercise for patients suffering from advanced cancer is not yet widespread. Nevertheless, aerobic exercise initiated and executed with appropriate care may serve as a useful additional means of palliative treatment in some patients with advanced cancer.

Zusammenfassung

Aerobes Ausdauertraining hat bekannte positive Effekte auf biopsychosoziale Parameter von Krebspatienten. Derzeit gilt Trainingstherapie nicht als lebensqualitätsverbessernde Maßnahme für Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen Karzinomen. Ziel dieser Fallstudie war es, die Machbarkeit und Effekte eines aeroben Ausdauertrainingsprogramms bei einem Patienten mit fortgeschrittenem hepatozellul7#x00E4;ren Karzinom zu bestimmen. Nach schriftlicher Einwilligung nahm ein 55jähriger männlicher Patient mit fortgeschrittenem hepatozellulärem Karzinom an einem aeroben Ausdauertraining, das nach den Regeln der medizini-schen Trainingslehre durchgeführt wurde, teil. Dabei handelte es sich um ein Fahrradergometertraining, welches zweimal wöchentlich über einen Zeitraum von 6 Wochen durchgeführt wurde. Ergometrien, sechsminütige Gehtests sowie Lebensqualitätsuntersuchungen wurden durchgeführt. Machbarkeit, Sicherheit und positive Effekte des Trainingsprogramms konnten für diesen Patienten bewiesen werden. Nach Beendigung des Trainingsprogramms hatte sich die Leistungsfähigkeit des Patienten um 20,3% verbessert. Der Patient gab eine deutliche Verbesserung seiner körperlichen Leistungsfähigkeit an, was durch das Ergebnis des sechsminütigen Gehtests unterstrichen wurde. Die Lebensqualität verbesserte sich in den Domänen „Körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit“, „Vitalität“, „Mentale Gesundheit“, „Emotionale Rollenfunktion“ und „Soziale Kompetenz“. Das Wissen um positive Effekte aeroben Ausdauertrainings bei Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen Karzinomen und infauster Prognose ist derzeit noch nicht stark verbreitet. Dennoch kann aerobes Ausdauertraining, wenn es entsprechend den Gesetzen der medizinischen Trainingslehre durchgeführt wird, eine sinnvolle Ergänzung in der palliativen Behandlung mancher Patienten mit fortgeschrittener Krebserkrankung darstellen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    Richard Crevenna, Manuela Schmidinger, Mohammad Keilani, Martin Nuhr, Hakan Nur, Carina Zöch, Christoph Zielinski, Veronika Fialka-Moser & Michael Quittan

  2. Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine I, University of Vienna, Austria

    Manuela Schmidinger & Christoph Zielinski

Authors
  1. Richard Crevenna
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  2. Manuela Schmidinger
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  3. Mohammad Keilani
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  4. Martin Nuhr
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  5. Hakan Nur
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  6. Carina Zöch
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  7. Christoph Zielinski
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  8. Veronika Fialka-Moser
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  9. Michael Quittan
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Correspondence to Richard Crevenna.

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Crevenna, R., Schmidinger, M., Keilani, M. et al. Aerobic exercise as additive palliative treatment for a patient with advanced hepatocellular cancer. WMW 153, 237–240 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1563-258X.2003.02116.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1563-258X.2003.02116.x

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