MASCC 2016 | The impact of dyadic exercises on cancer patients

Charles Kamen, PhD of University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY discusses the impact of dyadic exercises on cancer patients. Many people, including patients, do not enjoy exercising. This could be addressed by dyadic exercises, where patients and caregivers train together. A study performed by Dr Kamen measured cancer-related fatigue, psychological distress, physical function, and inflammation. The two part exercise intervention included walking and resistance training. The cancer-related fatigue and depression decreased over the course of the intervention in both study arms, however, there was a steeper decrease in psychological distress in the dyadic exercise group, compared to patients training on their own. A larger study is required to validate these findings. Recorded at the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) and International Society of Ocular Oncology (ISOO) 2016 Annual Meeting on Supportive Care in Cancer held in Adelaide, Australia.