Physical Activity in Osteosarcoma Patients During and Post Therapy: A Single Site Prospective Observational Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Oncology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Cancer Survivorship

Background:

• Osteosarcoma is a common childhood bone cancer impacting patient quality of life.
• Limited data exist on physical activity in pediatric osteosarcoma patients during treatment.
• Exercise interventions show promise for cancer patients but need specific data for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand physical activity patterns in children and adolescents with osteosarcoma.
• To inform the design of effective exercise interventions throughout the treatment and survivorship continuum.
• To assess activity levels in relation to treatment phases.

Main Methods:

• Wearable activity trackers were used to monitor physical activity in osteosarcoma patients.
• Inclusion criteria encompassed all ages, genders, and treatment stages, including post-treatment.
• Valid data required at least 3 days with over 10 hours of continuous heart rate monitoring.

Main Results:

• Twenty-six patients provided valid activity data.
• Average daily steps were 3184 ± 2553 on treatment days and 4884 ± 2447 on off-treatment days.
• Most patients remained below recommended daily step counts until after therapy completion.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity levels in pediatric osteosarcoma patients are generally low during treatment.
• Exercise programs may benefit from encouraging activity on chemotherapy days and scheduling intensive exercise post-therapy.
• Further research is necessary to develop targeted interventions to enhance physical activity in this population.