TY - JOUR A1 - Winter, Corinna A1 - Müller, Carsten A1 - Brandes, Mirko A1 - Brinkmann, Anja A1 - Hoffmann, Christiane A1 - Hardes, Jendrik A1 - Gosheger, Georg A1 - Boos, Joachim A1 - Rosenbaum, Dieter T1 - Level of activity in children undergoing cancer treatment JF - Pediatric Blood & Cancer N2 - Background The diagnosis of cancer bears severe implications for pediatric patients. One immense restriction consists in a reduced level of activity due to different factors. Physical activity affects various aspects of development and can be regarded as an essential part of a child's life. In the present study physical activity in patients undergoing cancer therapy was quantified in order to determine the extent of the restriction and to provide baseline information for the assessment of possible interventions. Procedure Physical activity in 80 patients and 45 healthy children matched for age and gender was measured using the StepWatch 3™ Activity Monitor (SAM, OrthoCare Innovations). Results Pediatric cancer patients, at 2,787 gait cycles (gcs) per day, were significantly less active than their healthy counterparts (8,096 gcs). Patients were significantly more active at home than during inpatient stays (3,185 gcs compared to 1,830 gcs), and patients with bone tumors were less active than those with leukemia regarding both, the amount (1,849 gcs vs. 2,992 gcs) and the intensity of activity. Conclusion The present study quantified an often observed but so far hardly assessable problem. Activity in cancer patients is considerably reduced and patients with bone tumors are at increased risk from the detrimental effects of prolonged inactivity. Both our findings and the accepted fact that activity is an essential element of child development confirm the need for interventions tailored to a patient's needs and abilities during the course of treatment. KW - bone tumor KW - childhood cancer KW - leukemia KW - physical activity Y1 - 2009 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pbc.22055 VL - 53 IS - 3 SP - 438 EP - 443 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Müller, Carsten A1 - Winter, Corinna A1 - Boos, Joachim A1 - Gosheger, Georg A1 - Hardes, Jendrik A1 - Vieth, Volker A1 - Rosenbaum, Dieter T1 - Effects of an exercise intervention on bone mass in pediatric bone tumor patients JF - International Journal of Sports Medicine N2 - The aim was to evaluate the effects of additional exercises during inpatient stays on bone mass in pediatric bone tumor patients. 21 patients were non-randomly allocated either to the exercise group (n=10) or the control group (n=11). DXA of the lumbar spine, the non-affected femur and both calcanei was performed after completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (baseline), as well as 6 and 12 months after baseline. Bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD) and height-corrected lumbar spine Z-scores were determined. Group changes after 6 and 12 months were compared by covariance analyses. Additionally, daily physical activities (PA) were assessed by means of accelerometry. After adjusting for initial age, height and weight, mean reductions in lumbar spine and femoral BMC were lower in the exercise group (not significant). Effect sizes during the observational period for lumbar spine and femur BMC were generally small (partial η²=0.03). The exercise group demonstrated substantially higher PA levels in terms of gait cycles per day, per hour and moderate PA (activities above 40 gait cycles per minute). Additional exercises for bone tumor patients are feasible during hospitalization. Though the intervention did not influence BMC, it appeared beneficial regarding PA promotion with respect to volume and intensity. KW - bone mass KW - training program KW - physical activity KW - sarcoma KW - children Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1358475 VL - 35 IS - 08 SP - 696 EP - 703 ER -