Abstract
Objective:
Assessment of feasibility and effects of an exercise training programme in patients following cystectomy due to urinary bladder cancer.
Design:
Single-blind, pilot, randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
University hospital, Sweden.
Subjects:
Eighteen patients (64–78 years), of 89 suitable, cystectomized due to urinary bladder cancer, were randomized after hospital discharge to intervention or control.
Interventions:
The 12-week exercise programme included group exercise training twice a week and daily walks. The control group received only standardized information at discharge.
Main outcome measures:
Trial eligibility and compliance to inclusion were registered. Assessments of functional capacity, balance, lower body strength and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with SF-36.
Results:
Out of 122 patients 89 were eligible, but 64 did not want to participate/were not invited. Twenty-five patients were included, but 7 dropped out before randomization. Eighteen patients were randomized to intervention or control. Thirteen patients completed the training period. The intervention group increased walking distance more than the control group, 109 m (75–177) compared to 62 m (36–119) (P = 0.013), and role physical domain in SF-36 more than the control group (P = 0.031). Ten patients were evaluated one year postoperatively. The intervention group had continued increasing walking distance, 20 m (19–36), whereas the control group had shortened the distance −15.5 m (−43 to −5) (P = 0.010).
Conclusions:
A 12-week group exercise training programme was not feasible for most cystectomy patients. However, functional capacity and the role-physical domain in HRQoL increased in the short and long term for patients in the intervention group compared with controls.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.