Vigorous intensity aerobic interval exercise in bladder cancer patients prior to radical cystectomy: a feasibility randomised controlled trial
Mené au Royaume-Uni sur 60 patients atteints d'un cancer de la vessie, cet essai randomisé évalue la faisabilité et l'intérêt d'un programme d'exercices d'aérobie d'intensité vigoureuse avant une cystectomie radicale pour améliorer la santé cardiorespiratoire
Purpose : Strategies to improve pre-operative cardiopulmonary fitness could positively impact recovery after surgery. This study investigated the feasibility of vigorous intensity aerobic interval exercise in bladder cancer patients prior to radical cystectomy (RC). Methods : A total of 60 patients were randomised (1:1) to exercise or control following a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). The exercise group was offered twice-weekly pre-operative supervised vigorous intensity aerobic interval exercise in addition to standard treatment. The controls received standard treatment only. A repeat CPET was undertaken before surgery and post-operative recovery outcomes were recorded. Results : Over half of the 112 eligible patients approached in the clinic were recruited to the study (53.5%), with recruited patients attending a median of 8 (range 1–10) exercise sessions over a pre-operative period of 3–6 weeks. Improvements in peak values of oxygen pulse (P = 0.001), minute ventilation (P = 0.002) and power output (P < 0.001) were observed at the follow-up CPET in the exercise group versus controls and there were no adverse events. Although this feasibility study was not powered to detect changes in post-operative recovery outcomes, there were marginal (non-significant) differences in favour of the exercise group in post-operative Clavien-Dindo score and need for high dependency unit inotropic support. Conclusions : Bladder cancer patients respond well to pre-surgical aerobic interval exercise, and the improvements in cardiopulmonary fitness variables could have important implications for post-operative recuperation after RC. These findings provide a strong foundation for an adequately powered randomised controlled trial.