A Physical Exercise Intervention, Delivered Through In-Person or Home-Based Programs, in Patients Living With Cancer and Bone Metastases: A Single-Arm, Feasibility Study

Abstract

Evidence of the feasibility of physical exercise for patients with bone metastases is still scarce. This study assessed the feasibility of in-person or home-based exercise programs and explored their efficacy in patients with bone lesions. Twenty-one patients with bone metastases were invited to participate in an exercise intervention consisting of 12 weeks of in-person or home-based aerobic and resistance training twice a week. The primary study endpoint was the feasibility of the program, including recruitment, completion, attendance, adherence, tolerance rates, and safety. Secondary outcomes were physical fitness and patient-reported parameters. To analyze data descriptive statistics, Student’s t test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were applied. The recruitment rate was 84%, and only one patient withdrew (5%). The median program attendance was 93%, and adherence was 85%, with the home-based program showing a higher adherence rate compared to the in-person delivery. Tolerability was 98%, and 13 mild (Grade 1 or 2) adverse events were registered. At postintervention, an increase in functional capacity was observed, while no significant changes in muscle strength, flexibility, or anthropometric parameters were detected. Enhancements in quality of life domains, including physical, role, and emotional functioning, as well as reductions in fatigue and appetite loss, were also reported. Our exercise intervention, whether delivered in person or through a home-based program, was highly feasible and safe.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04226508