Adaptated Physical Activity During Chemotherapy: Evaluation of the Psychological, Physiological and Biological Impact

Although treatments significantly increase the life expectancy of cancer patients, their quality of life is more or less reduced. The development of supportive care, such as physical activity, is one of the tools that should be promoted to maintain quality of life and reduce treatment side effects, including fatigue. This study was developed to understand the different biopsychosocial effects of a physical activity program carried out with patients suffering from various types of cancers, and to facilitate and improve the implementation of this type of activity in health care facilities. Study randomized, controlled, cross-over intervention evaluating a 12-week supervised and adapted physical activity program. Participants were assigned to one of two groups: Group A which first follows a 12-week physical activity program, then undergoes usual care for 12 additional weeks, or Group B, which continues usual care for 12 weeks (control group) and then starts the physical activity program for 12 additional weeks. Quality of life (with questionnaires for 2 groups) , well-being, fatigue, physical capacity, leptin concentration, goal setting and level of physical activity are evaluated during this protocol. By understanding the multidimensional effects of a physical activity program for various cancer types, depending on the time of proposing the program, by evaluating the correlations among all these variables, and by evaluating long-term effects, the IPCAPA study contributes to identifying the physical activity program which will be effective, viable and feasible for all patients undergoing chemotherapy, whatever the type of cancer.