Physiotherapy and Physical Activity as Factors Improving the Psychological State of Patients With Cancer

Physiotherapy in oncology is a process closely related to cancer treatment methods. Rehabilitation is based on physical activity in various forms involving the musculoskeletal system but also affects the emotional state. Physical activity influences physical and psychological well-being of people undergoing oncological treatment, in the course of which the most common psychiatric disorders are depression, substance use disorder, sleep disorders, fatigue syndrome, resulting in worsening of the quality of life. Difficulties in implementing physical exercise in cancer patients pose a challenge to treatment teams.

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Virtual reality-based relaxation for enhancement of perioperative well-being and quality of life: protocol for a randomised pilot trial

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044193 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. e044193

Author(s):

Matthias Christian Schrempf ◽

Julian Quirin Petzold ◽

Hugo Vachon ◽

Morten Aagaard Petersen ◽

Johanna Gutschon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Sample Size ◽

Stress Reduction ◽

Pilot Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

Coping Resources ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Sample Size Calculations

IntroductionPatients with cancer undergoing surgery often suffer from reduced quality of life and various forms of distress. Untreated distress can negatively affect coping resources as well as surgical and oncological outcomes. A virtual reality-based stress reduction intervention may increase quality of life and well-being and reduce distress in the perioperative phase for patients with cancer. This pilot trial aims to explore the feasibility of the proposed intervention, assess patient acceptability and obtain estimates of effect to provide data for sample size calculations.Methods and analysisPatients with colorectal cancer and liver metastasis undergoing elective surgery will be recruited for this single-centre, randomised pilot trial with a three-arm design. A total of 54 participants will be randomised at 1:1:1 ratio to one of two intervention groups or a control receiving standard treatment. Those randomised to an intervention group will either receive perioperative virtual reality-based stress reduction exercises twice daily or listen to classical music twice daily. Primary feasibility outcomes are number and proportions of participants recruited, screened, consented and randomised. Furthermore, adherence to the intervention, compliance with the completion of the quality of life questionnaires and feasibility of implementing the trial procedures will be assessed. Secondary clinical outcomes are measurements of the effectiveness of the interventions to inform sample size calculations.Ethics and disseminationThe study protocol, the patient information and the informed consent form have been approved by the ethics committee of the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany (Reference Number: 19–915). Study findings will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberDRKS00020909.

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Relationship between Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Spanish Children

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052702 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2702

Author(s):

Manuel Ávila-García ◽

María Esojo-Rivas ◽

Emilio Villa-González ◽

Pablo Tercedor ◽

Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Sedentary Time ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Well Being ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Higher sedentary time and lower physical activity (PA) are associated with a poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children. The aims of this study were: (1) to analyze the sedentary time, objectively measured PA levels (light, moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)), and HRQoL dimensions (physical well-being, emotional well-being, self-esteem, family, friends, school, and total score) in children; and (2) to examine the association between sedentary time, PA levels, and HRQoL in children separately by sex. A total of 459 children (8.4 ± 0.4 years old, 50.54% males) from 15 schools in Granada (Spain) participated in the study. A tri-axial accelerometer was used to measure PA levels in the children for 7 consecutive days. The Revidierter KINDer Lebensqualitätsfragebogen (KINDL-R) questionnaire was used to determine the children’s HRQoL dimensions. The results showed that males presented more minutes engaged in MVPA than females. Both sedentary time and PA levels were associated with self-esteem and total score (all p < 0.05). In males, moderate and vigorous PA levels were associated with higher HRQoL, whereas light PA was associated with higher HRQoL in females. Future studies should take into account the use of activities with difference intensities in order to increase HRQoL in males and females.

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Fears, beliefs, and quality of life of patients with cancer vs the general population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Lombardy

Tumori Journal ◽

10.1177/03008916211022848 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 030089162110228

Author(s):

Carla Ida Ripamonti ◽

Giacomo Massa ◽

Daniela Insolvibile ◽

Mauro Guglielmo ◽

Guido Miccinesi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

General Population ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Well Being ◽

Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽

Cancer Center ◽

Psychological Consequences ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Fear Of Cancer

Aim: To understand how patients with cancer reacted to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether their quality of life (QoL) was affected. Methods: In June 2020, 111 patients with cancer treated in the supportive care unit of a Comprehensive Cancer Center in Milan and 201 healthy controls from the general population were enrolled and assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively for fears and COVID-19–related beliefs as well as for QoL. Results: Fear of COVID-19 was significantly lower among patients (41% vs 57.6%; p = 0.007), as was fear of cancer (61.5% vs 85.6%; p < 0.001) and other diseases. The perceived risk of getting COVID-19 was lower among patients (25.2% vs 52.7%; p < 0.001), as was the belief of having been exposed to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (18.1% vs 40.8%; p < 0.001). The physical component of QoL was better among the population (54.5 vs 43.8; p < 0.001); the reverse was true for patients’ psychological well-being (44.6 vs 39.6; p < 0.001). The qualitative data supported such results, showing a reduced psychological effect on the patients with cancer compared to the controls. Various reasons explain this result, including the awareness of being treated for cancer and nevertheless protected against getting infected in a cancer center of public health reorganized to continue treating patients by protecting them and personnel from the risk of infection. Conclusions: The experience of a cancer diagnosis, together with proper hospital reorganization, may act as protective factors from fears and psychological consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak.

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The relationship of self-reported and device-based measures of physical activity and health-related quality of life in adolescents

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01682-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kathrin Wunsch ◽

Claudio R. Nigg ◽

Susanne Weyland ◽

Darko Jekauc ◽

Claudia Niessner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

School Environment ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) has beneficial effects on health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which is a protective factor of illness and mortality. The purpose of this examination was to investigate if self-reported and device-based measures of PA were related to HRQoL in adolescents. Methods Participants (N = 1565; 54.3% female; Mage = 14.37 years, SDage = 1.99) were recruited from 167 sample points across Germany. Adolescents self-reported their PA, supplemented by a 1-week examination of device-based PA using accelerometry. Additionally, they completed the multidimensional KIDSCREEN-27 to assess HRQoL. Results Results showed that self-reported PA was correlated with overall HRQoL, Physical Well-Being, Psychological Well-Being, Social Support & Peers, and School Environment, whereas device-based PA was only correlated with Physical as well as Psychological Well-Being. Further, self-reported PA significantly predicted all facets of HRQoL except for Autonomy and Parent Relations, whereas device-based PA solely heightened the amount of explained variance in the Physical Well-Being subscale. Conclusions Findings demonstrate the importance of self-reported PA as it is related to almost all facets of HRQoL. Both measures of PA are not congruent in their relationship with HRQoL and thus implications have to be carefully considered. Future studies should investigate the direct effect of PA on HRQoL and health in a longitudinal approach to account for the causality of effects.

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Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Adults With Cystic Fibrosis: Association With Aerobic Capacity, Lung Function, Sleep, Well-Being, and Quality of Life

Respiratory Care ◽

10.4187/respcare.09270 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. respcare.09270

Author(s):

Máire Curran ◽

Audrey C Tierney ◽

Brenda Button ◽

Louise Collins ◽

Lauren Kennedy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Cystic Fibrosis ◽

Lung Function ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

Aerobic Capacity ◽

Well Being

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An Activity Tracker–Guided Physical Activity Program for Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy: Protocol for a Prospective Phase III Trial (OnkoFit I and II Trials) (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28524 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Franziska Hauth ◽

Barbara Gehler ◽

Andreas Michael Nieß ◽

Katharina Fischer ◽

Andreas Toepell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Functional Assessment ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Daily Step ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Activity Tracker ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue ◽

Daily Step Count

BACKGROUND The positive impact that physical activity has on patients with cancer has been shown in several studies over recent years. However, supervised physical activity programs have several limitations, including costs and availability. Therefore, our study proposes a novel approach for the implementation of a patient-executed, activity tracker–guided exercise program to bridge this gap. OBJECTIVE Our trial aims to investigate the impact that an activity tracker–guided, patient-executed exercise program for patients undergoing radiotherapy has on cancer-related fatigue, health-related quality of life, and preoperative health status. METHODS Patients receiving postoperative radiotherapy for breast cancer (OnkoFit I trial) or neoadjuvant, definitive, or postoperative treatment for other types of solid tumors (OnkoFit II trial) will be randomized (1:1:1) into 3-arm studies. Target accrual is 201 patients in each trial (50 patients per year). After providing informed consent, patients will be randomized into a standard care arm (arm A) or 1 of 2 interventional arms (arms B and C). Patients in arms B and C will wear an activity tracker and record their daily step count in a diary. Patients in arm C will receive personalized weekly targets for their physical activity. No further instructions will be given to patients in arm B. The target daily step goals for patients in arm C will be adjusted weekly and will be increased by 10% of the average daily step count of the past week until they reach a maximum of 6000 steps per day. Patients in arm A will not be provided with an activity tracker. The primary end point of the OnkoFit I trial is cancer-related fatigue at 3 months after the completion of radiotherapy. This will be measured by the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue questionnaire. For the OnkoFit II trial, the primary end point is the overall quality of life, which will be assessed with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General sum score at 6 months after treatment to allow for recovery after possible surgery. In parallel, blood samples from before, during, and after treatment will be collected in order to assess inflammatory markers. RESULTS Recruitment for both trials started on August 1, 2020, and to date, 49 and 12 patients have been included in the OnkoFit I and OnkoFit II trials, respectively. Both trials were approved by the institutional review board prior to their initiation. CONCLUSIONS The OnkoFit trials test an innovative, personalized approach for the implementation of an activity tracker–guided training program for patients with cancer during radiotherapy. The program requires only a limited amount of resources. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04506476; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04506476. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04517019; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04517019. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/28524

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INTERRELATION BETWEEN THE CHANGES IN QUALITY OF LIFE AND ARTERIAL STIFFNESS IN PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS TYPE 2 AND CONCOMITANT OBESITY

Актуальні проблеми сучасної медицини Вісник Української медичної стоматологічної академії ◽

10.31718/2077-1096.18.4.71 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 71-75

Author(s):

I.M. Fushtey ◽

Ye.A. Solovyuk ◽

A.O. Solovyuk

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Diabetes Mellitus ◽

Emotional State ◽

Eating Behaviour ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Healthy Individuals ◽

Patients With Diabetes

The purpose of this work was to study the general characteristics of quality of life (QoL), the effect of overweight on QoL, the nature of eating behaviour in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 2 and concomitant overweight (OW) and obesity, as well as to establish the correlation with indicators of functional state of the arterial vessels. 64 people (34 women and 30 men) with DM and concomitant overweight and obesity (average age 56.3 ± 10.23 years) formed the 1 group, 34 people (19 women and 15 men), whose average age was 55.6 ± 11.92 years constituted the 2 group, and 28 healthy individuals formed the control group. SF-36v2 questionnaires were used to evaluate QoL. The effect of overweight on QoL was analyzed according to the IWQOL-Lite questionnaire data, the patterns of eating behaviour were determined by the COEQ4 for 7 days using FPRS questionnaire. The functional state of the arterial vessels was assessed by estimating the pulse wave velocity using the automated rheographic complex ReoCom (KhAI Medika (Ukraine)). The patients with DM and concomitant overweight and obesity were found to experience some changes in QoL according to the SF-36v2 questionnaire. The changes were primarily characterized by a decrease in physical activity, as well as in social and emotional status. These changes differed not only from the QoL assessment by healthy individuals, but also from those of patients with DM and normal body weight. The nature of eating behaviour in overweight or obese patients with DM was characterized by an increased hunger in parallel with a worsened emotional state and an increased desire to eat certain types of foods that can contribute to weight gain. Structural changes in arterial vessels that typically are indicative of arterial stiffness correlate with indicators of emotional state and physical activity in patients with DM and comorbid overweight and obesity.

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Music therapy effectiveness by duration in patients with cancer: a meta-regression

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care ◽

10.1136/bmjspcare-2021-003163 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bmjspcare-2021-003163

Author(s):

Ronald Chow ◽

Robert Bergner ◽

Elizabeth Prsic

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Music Therapy ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Therapy Effectiveness ◽

Meta Regression ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesSeveral reviews and meta-analyses have reported on music therapy for physical and emotional well-being among patients with cancer. However, the duration of music therapy offered may range from less than 1 hour to several hours. The aim of this study is to assess whether longer duration of music therapy is associated with different levels of improvement in physical and mental well-being.MethodsTen studies were included in this paper, reporting on the endpoints of quality of life and pain. A meta-regression, using an inverse-variance model, was performed to assess the impact of total music therapy time. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the outcome of pain, among low risk of bias trials.ResultsOur meta-regression found a trend for positive association between greater total music therapy time and improved better pain control, but it was not statistically significant.ConclusionThere is a need for more high-quality studies examining music therapy for patients with cancer, with a focus on total music therapy time and patient-related outcomes including quality of life and pain.

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