Effects of a physical activity programme to prevent physical performance decline in onco‐geriatric patients: a randomized multicentre trial

BACKGROUND: Older adults with cancer experience negative long-term functional effects of both cancer and treatments. Exercise may minimize their age-related and cancer-related functional decline. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre open-label 12month randomized clinical trial with two parallel arms including participants aged ≥70years with lymphoma or carcinoma requiring curative treatment. The study started at the beginning of any phase of cancer treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy). The usual care group (UCG) received the current national recommendations in physical activity (a guideline without specific counselling). The intervention group (IG) received 1year phoned physical activity advice individually adapted to physical assessment (twice a month during the first 6months and then monthly). The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects with a 1year decreased short physical performance battery (SPPB) score of 1 point or more. Physical, cognitive, and clinical secondary outcomes were also investigated. RESULTS: We allocated 301 participants (age 76.7±5.0, female 60.6%) to each group. At baseline, the median SPPB was 10/12 in both groups. Breast was the most frequent tumour site (35.7%). After 1year, 14.0% of participants in the UCG and 18.7% in the IG had a decrease in SPPB score of 1 point or more (P=0.772). At 2years, there was no difference in SPPB, gait speed, International Physical Activity Questionnaire score, and verbal fluency. Subgroup analyses after 2years showed a decline in SPPB for 29.8% of UCG and 5.0% of IG breast cancer participants (P=0.006), in 21.7% of UCG and 6.2% of IG female participants (P=0.019), and in 24.5% of UCG and 11.1% of IG normal nutritional status participants (P=0.009). Falls, hospitalization, institutionalization, and death rates were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Personalized phoned physical activity advice had not reduced functional decline at 1year but provided preliminary evidence that may prevent physical performance decline at 2years in older adults with breast cancer. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the Society on Sarcopenia, Cachexia and Wasting Disorders.This work was funded by the National Hospital Program of Clinical Research (Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique 2010) and sponsored by the University Hospital of Bordeaux (CHU Bordeaux). Haritz Arrieta was supported by a fellowship from University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)