Feasibility and Validity of the 6-Minute Cycling Test in Childhood Cancer Patients

The 6-min cycling test (6MCT), a submaximal endurance test, has not yet been applied in pediatric oncology. This study evaluates its feasibility and validity in 71 childhood cancer patients (9.6 ± 4.0 years). For validation, 46 patients additionally underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Performance in the 6MCT (total revolutions) was correlated with peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak) and peak work rate (WR_peak) using Spearman's correlation. Linear regressions assessed the predictive value of VO_2peak and WR_peak on 6MCT performance. Sixty-six participants (93%) successfully completed the 6MCT, averaging 550 ± 129 revolutions. Revolutions correlated moderately with VO_2peak (ρ = 0.46, p = 0.001) and strongly with WR_peak (ρ = 0.64, p < 0.001). VO_2peak significantly predicted 6MCT performance (p = 0.001, R² = 0.214), whereas WR_peak explained more variance (p < 0.001, R² = 0.488). The results demonstrate that the 6MCT is a feasible, valid endurance assessment in this population, offering a promising alternative when gold standard testing is not available.