The investigators propose to determine whether it is acceptable to patients with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma (a type of blood cancer that can cause bone weakness, pain and fatigue) to be offered and attend an exercise group before receiving an autologous stem cell transplantation (being given back one's own stem cells, following receipt of intensive chemotherapy, to enable bone marrow to start producing blood cells again). Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing many of the side effects of myeloma and the treatment patients receive to manage the disease. Prehabilitation i.e. providing an intervention after diagnosis but before treatment begins has been effective in reducing the severity of side effects of treatment in cancer patients receiving surgery. No evidence exists for its use in patients with myeloma. Patients awaiting transplantation will be provided with information regarding the study and invited to join. Patients who agree to take part will attend the hospital for an assessment of their exercise capability and to complete one set of four questionnaires. They will receive an exercise booklet, advice and complete one attempt at their exercise programme under supervision of a physiotherapist. Patients will be requested to attend the gym for a minimum of six further weeks to complete their exercise programme. Patients will complete a repeat set of questionnaires and a repeat walking test six weeks after the first, on admission to hospital for their transplant and on the day they leave hospital. Some patients will be invited to discuss their opinions of the exercise programme and how useful they felt it was to them in preparing for their transplant. If the study shows that the exercise programme is acceptable to patients and we can recruit enough patients to test it in a larger trial, the investigators will apply for further funding.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
23
Participants will be invited to attend a weekly supervised exercise program over six weeks, in the time before their bone marrow transplantation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Number of exercise sessions attended
this is a feasibility study, so monitoring attendance at the study will be the primary outcome measure
Time frame: 12 months
Six minute walking distance
Six minute walking distance
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
Mental well-being
Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
Physical Activity/fitness 1
Godin Leisure Time
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
Physical Activity/fitness 2
International Physical Activity Questionnaire
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
Quality of Life 1
FACT-MM
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
Quality of Life 2
EORTC QLQ C30 MY20
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
Self-efficacy with exercise
SCI Self Efficacy for Exercise Scale
Time frame: At initial assessments and 6th and final exercise session, which will be between 6 and 12 weeks from initial assessment
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