The effects of participation in an individualized exercise program under the supervision of health care professionals on cancer-related fatigue.

208 Background: A majority of (80–100%) of patients with cancer report cancer-related fatigue. Physical activity has shown to be an effective intervention for cancer-related fatigue. The cancer rehabilitation team at Aurora Health Care’s Aurora Medical Center Grafton initiated the Exercise for Cancer Recovery Program (ECRP) in order to have a greater impact on the quality of life of their patients. ECRP was an individualized exercise program taking place in a group setting with other cancer survivors under the supervision of healthcare professionals. The program was open to patients with all types and stages of cancer, including patients in active treatment as well as those who completed treatment. The aim of the study was to determine if participation in ECRP reduces cancer-related fatigue. Methods: Upon referral and/or clearance from the patient’s oncologist/advanced practitioner, the patient was evaluated by a physical therapist and placed on an individualized exercise program. ECRP ran twice per week for an hour. Patients followed and filled out an exercise log. During each session, the supervising health care professionals circulated throughout the class, providing individual guidance as appropriate to ensure safe participation and motivation. Baseline data on fatigue was obtained for each patient upon the initial session and monthly thereafter using the Brief Fatigue Inventory Outcome Measurement tool (BFI) over a 12-month period dating from January to December 2017. Twenty-seven patients participated in ECRP. Not all patients attended all exercise sessions or completed BFI every month. The minimum fatigue score was determined and compared with the initial score utilizing a paired t-test and signed rank test. Results: Data was obtained and analyzed utilizing a paired t-test and a signed rank test to evaluate the significance of BFI scores obtained between the initial and minimum score. There was a significant reduction in the Total Brief Fatigue score (P-value < 0.001). Conclusions: An exercise program resulted in a significant reduction in cancer-related fatigue with improved patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.