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Supportive Care in Cancer

Published in:

01-10-2019 | Original Article

Personalised and progressive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients with cancer—a clinical case series

Authors: Dominic O’Connor, Matilde Mora Fernandez, Gabriel Signorelli, Pedro Valero, Brian Caulfield

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 10/2019

Abstract

Purpose

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) may be a pragmatic short-term alternative to voluntary exercise to augment cancer rehabilitation. However, previous attempts to use NMES as an exercise modality in this cohort have been unsuccessful, largely due to the use of NMES protocols that were developed for other rehabilitation contexts. We assessed the effects of a personalised and progressive NMES exercise intervention, designed with early-stage cancer rehabilitation in mind, on exercise capacity, lower body functional strength and quality of life in (QoL) in patients who are currently undergoing or have recently completed treatment for cancer.

Methods

Ten adult patients were recruited. A personalised and progressive NMES exercise intervention was implemented in each case over a 4–8-week period. The 30-s sit-to-stand test (STS), 6-min walk test (6MWT) and EORTC QLQ C-30 were performed pre- and post-intervention. Patients completed semi-structured interviews post-intervention to explore their experiences and views on the intervention and its impact on their daily lives.

Results

Six of the 10 recruited patients completed the intervention and completed pre-and post-assessments. Four of 6 patients improved STS, 5 of 6 patients improved 6MWT and 4 of 6 patients improved Global QoL. Perceived benefits included improved muscle strength and more confidence when walking.

Conclusion

A personalised and progressive NMES exercise intervention appears safe and may improve functional capacity and QoL in adults who are undergoing or have recently completed treatment for cancer. Replication of these results in a controlled prospective study is warranted prior to clinical implementation.

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Title: Personalised and progressive neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients with cancer—a clinical case series
Authors: Dominic O’Connor
Matilde Mora Fernandez
Gabriel Signorelli
Pedro Valero
Brian Caulfield
Publication date: 01-10-2019
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 10/2019
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04679-3

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