Clinical Trial to Investigate Benefit of Exercise Prior to Stem Cell Transplantation in Myeloma
Posted: Tuesday, May 22, 2018
A new clinical trial will attempt to learn whether physical exercise could benefit patients with multiple myeloma who are awaiting an autologous stem cell transplant. Susan Mawson, PhD, of the University of Sheffield, United Kingdom, and colleagues pointed out that exercise has proven beneficial for patients recovering from stem cell transplantation, but to date, no studies have focused on prehabilitation (exercise prior to treatment). The protocol for the trial, named the PREeMPT study, was published in BMJ Open.
“The effects of bone marrow transplantation can have a high cost to the individual and to health services,” stated the investigators. “There is clearly of value in exploring treatment options that may lessen the effects of treatment, particularly those with relatively low associated costs such as exercise prehabilitation.”
The study will invite patients with multiple myeloma to participate in six weekly sessions of individualized exercise while awaiting a transplant. They will analyze the rate of recruitment, adherence, adverse events, and outcome measures, such as a 6-minute walking test and quality of life.
The team hopes to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting research on a prehabilitation physical activity program, including patient perception of exercise, patient time commitments, and patient ability to participate in the exercises. If feasibility is determined, a larger-scale study to test the efficacy of pretransplant exercise will be planned.
