Can whole body vibration enhance chemotherapy?

Abstract

In oncological patients, whole body vibration (WBV) can be used to reduce cancer therapy-related morbidities, including in the case of intensive/high-dose chemotherapy. Based on the fact that WBV has the unique effect among physical exercises of intensifying blood circulation in the splanchnic territory, the medical hypothesis can be formulated according to which this type of training performed immediately after or ideally during intravenous chemotherapy would enhance the effectiveness of drug therapy due to the increase in the rate of distribution. This effect, which can benefit especially patients with abdominal tumors, may also allow the reduction of doses, thus reducing the probability of the occurrence of adverse reactions. Testing the hypothesis is possible on experimental animals, but for the organization of the research protocol, it must be taken into account that mechanical vibrations can destroy tumor cells by their own action, by influencing mesenchymal stem cells or by stimulating the secretion of irisin. Research on experimental animals is also necessary to discern whether mechanical vibrations do not affect the treatment of tumors with stem cells or do not decrease anti-tumor immunity.