Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Abstract

Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer globally and over 6,50,000 people are diagnosed per year. Anticancer treatment includes radiotherapy, chemotherapy, target therapy and surgery. After accepting chemoradiotherapy, many head and neck cancer patients experience a wide range of cancer and treatment-related side effects including declining physical fitness. According to American College of Sports Medicine, four components of cancer-patient-physical fitness include muscle fitness, cardiovascular fitness, balance and flexibility. In addition, the benefits of exercise have increased in physical fitness. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine whether exercise training could improve the physical fitness of head and neck cancer patients. This study is a repeated measure within and between subject design and recruit 12 head and neck cancer patients dividing into an intervention group (Age: 39.7±18) and control group (Age: 50±9.6). Patients from intervention group received multi-model exercise for 8 weeks containing aerobic exercise, resistance training, balance training and flexibility training. Patients from control groups received general health education. The results of intervention group on the physical index of 3 minutes step test before exercise was 64.8±6.3 and the control group was 78.1±25.1. After the intervention of 8 weeks, physical index of multi-model exercise in the intervention group was 67.4±14.3 and the control group was 67.6±19.8. In this study, the preliminary result showed that the physical index in the intervention group was no significant difference but an upward trend. However, the control group showed a downward tendency, probably due to the small sample size. This finding suggested that exercise can promote physical fitness in head and neck cancer patients.

Biography

Hui Ching Cheng is a Master’s degree student from the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. She is a Physical Therapist, specializing in Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy. Her research is to examine the therapeutic effect of exercise training to improve physical fitness of head and neck cancer patients.
Email:qaz200408@gmail.com