Effects of physical activity on performance measures in older adult cancer survivors

Older adults who are long-term survivors of cancer are vulnerable to developing mobility disability than noncancer controls; it is unknown if physical activity improves objective measures of lower-extremity physical performance, such as the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and 400-m walk, that are predictors of mobility disability in this population.

The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) study was a multicenter randomized trial that enrolled 1635 adults aged 70-89 years, of whom 371 (22.7%) reported a history of cancer and were included in this secondary analysis. Participants were randomized to health education or physical activity. End points included the SPPB and 400-m walk.

Randomization to physical activity, compared with health education, improved the SPPB score at 6 months (0.45 points [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.05-0.86]; p = .027), 12 months (0.43 points [95% CI, 0.02-0.83]; p = .039), and 24 months (0.45 points [95% CI, 0.04-0.87]; p = .031). Randomization to physical activity, compared with health education, improved the 400-m walk speed at 6 months (0.042 m/s [95% CI, 0.017-0.066]; p < .001) and 12 months (0.036 m/s [95% CI, 0.011-0.060]; p = .004) but not 24 months (0.013 m/s [95% CI, -0.012 to 0.038]; p = .30). Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity volume at 6 months mediated 25.3% (95% CI, 4.1-46.6 [p = .019]) and 30.3% [95% CI, 10.3-50.4 [p = .003]) of the effect of randomization on the SPPB score and 400-m walk speed at 12 months, respectively.

Physical activity may improve lower-extremity physical performance compared to health education in older adults who are long-term survivors of cancer.