Effect of Reconditioning Exercise on Older Adults With Urinary Tract Cancer Following Curative Surgery

As population ages, geriatric patients with urinary tract cancer suffer from more complications and functional decline that alter treatment plan despite advance in cancer surgery. It was found that these urinary tract cancer survivors required a longer time to recover to the state before the treatment, and some may be even unable to recover to the state before the treatment. Exercise intervention has been found to be beneficial to improve functional capacity for cancer survivors, such as breast cancer. However, it is unclear whether exercise intervention could also improve functional recovery and mobility in patients with urinary tract cancer following curative surgery, especially in older adults. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of reconditioning exercise on morbidity, oncological outcomes, and functional recovery in older adults with urinary tract cancer following curative surgery. Patients aged over 65 years old and after having undergone curative surgery for confirmed urinary tract cancer will be recruited. The participants will be assigned into two groups using blocked randomization design. One group will receive reconditioning exercise training for five consecutive days, and the other group will receive exercise education. Structured questionnaire for comprehensive geriatric assessment and functional mobility, such as walking performance, will be used to assess the training effect. Outcome measures are assessed including major complication after surgeries, changes in functional status, tumor progression, and length of survival. Physical function measurement will include hand grip, muscle strength of lower extremities, and gait performance.