Effects of Home-Based Exercise Program on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Quality of Life: A Single-blind Randomized Controlled Trial.
Necmiye Çömlekçi, Gülbeyaz Can, Faruk Taş
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In 30 seconds
This single-blind randomized controlled trial evaluated a home-based exercise program for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and quality of life. It included 72 participants: 37 assigned to exercise twice daily for 8 weeks and 35 receiving standard care. At 8 weeks postintervention, CIPN symptom scores were significantly lower with exercise (P < .001); sensory and motor neuropathy effects were large (d = 3.47 and d = 2.76, respectively). Quality-of-life scores were also significantly higher in the intervention group (P < .001; η2 = 0.45).
Key findings
- At 8 weeks postintervention, CIPN symptom scores were lower in the exercise group than in the standard-care group (P < .001).
- Sensory and motor neuropathy scores showed large effect sizes (d = 3.47 and d = 2.76, respectively).
- Quality-of-life scores were higher after intervention with exercise than with standard care (P < .001; η2 = 0.45).
Why it matters
CIPN can impair quality of life, and this trial found that a structured home-based exercise program was associated with improvements in both neuropathy symptoms and quality-of-life scores compared with standard care. The findings add randomized evidence for exercise as a supportive approach, while the study’s results apply to the program and population evaluated.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not report follow-up beyond the postintervention assessment, so the durability of the observed effects is unclear.