KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility and safety of maximal CPET in GBM patients while concurrently evaluating their physical fitness status.
- Max. CPET in GBM patients proved feasible and safe, highlighting the importance of tailored exercise guidelines.
Patients with brain cancer, particularly glioblastoma (GBM), often undergo less rigorous assessments, such as the 6-minute walk test or self-rating scales, despite maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing (max. CPET) being the benchmark for accurately measuring cardiorespiratory fitness.
Johanna Jost and the team aimed to establish the feasibility and safety of max. CPET in GBM patients while assessing their physical fitness status simultaneously.
Newly diagnosed GBM patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy were invited to participate in an exercise program. The baseline assessment included max. CPET to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness, including peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak), peak workload, and physical work capacity (PWC) at 75% of age-adjusted maximal heart rate (HR).
Criteria for peak workload determination were predefined using threshold values in HR, respiratory quotient, respiratory equivalent, lactate, and rate of perceived exertion. Data were compared to normative values, and adverse events were categorized based on standardized international criteria. Additionally, self-reported exercise data were collected before and after diagnosis.
All 36 patients (median age 60; 21 men) met the predefined criteria for peak workload. The mean absolute VO2 peak was 1750 ± 529 ml/min, peak workload averaged 130 ± 43 W, and mean PWC was 0.99 ± 0.38 W/kg BW, all significantly lower than age- and sex-predicted normative values (87%, 79%, 90%, respectively). Only one minor (3%), transient side effect occurred (post-test dizziness, no intervention needed). Self-reported exercise decreased from 15.8 MET-h/week pre-diagnosis to 7.2 MET-h/week post-diagnosis.
The results demonstrated that max. CPET in this well-defined population was feasible and safe. GBM patients exhibited reduced cardiorespiratory fitness, emphasizing the importance of tailored exercise interventions to enhance their health and quality of life. Incorporating CPET into practice could be essential for establishing precise exercise guidelines.
Open Access funding facilitated and coordinated by Projekt DEAL.
Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11060-024-04629-y
Jost, J., Völker, K., Brandt, R. et al. (2024) “Maximal cardiopulmonary exercise testing in glioblastoma patients undergoing chemotherapy: assessment of feasibility, safety, and physical fitness status.” J Neurooncol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11060-024-04629-y.
