Discussion
cancer, fatigue
CANCER
This study aimed to investigate the effect of supervised resistance exercise on muscle morphology and muscle function in advanced-stage OC survivors who had completed first-line treatment. There were two main findings. First, after 12 weeks of resistance exercise, there were significant increases in lean mass and muscle density, upper and lower body muscle strength, and physical function. Second, participants experienced clinically important improvements in global health and quality of life, fatigue, and social functioning, with no increase in pelvic floor symptoms.We observed statistically significant increases in lean mass from pre- to post-intervention. Our finding is consistent with that of Lee et al. [In contrast to muscle mass, information on the effect of exercise on muscle density in people with cancer is limited, with some evidence that exercise during treatment preserves muscle density [Participants in our study experienced significant increases in physical function and upper and lower body muscle strength during the 12-week resistance exercise intervention. Only a few OC exercise studies have included measures of physical function or muscle strength [We did not observe a change in handgrip strength after the 12-week resistance exercise intervention. While Moonsammy et al. also reported no improvement in handgrip strength after a 24-week multimodal exercise intervention [Health-related QoL in OC survivors who had completed treatment is often negatively affected by persistent symptoms and side effects such as fatigue [Importantly, patient-reported pelvic floor symptoms did not increase during the resistance training intervention. Although research investigating the effect of exercise on the pelvic floor is insufficient and often contradictory, current best evidence suggests that most physical activity does not harm the pelvic floor [This study investigated the effects of resistance exercise in advanced-stage OC survivors. We found that participation in a resistance exercise program shortly after the completion of first-line treatment can effectively improve muscle morphology and muscle function, both considered potentially prognostic for treatment and survival outcomes [Although larger, controlled randomized trials are needed for confirmation, our findings suggest that supervised resistance exercise is beneficial for women who have completed first-line treatment for OC. Considering the growing interest in pre-habilitation for OC patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, our findings also provide promise for pre-habilitation programs with a resistance training component.