Summary: Researchers from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center presented findings at the ASH Annual Meeting demonstrating that resistance training can significantly improve sleep, reduce fatigue, and alleviate pain in multiple myeloma patients. The six-month study evaluated various exercise regimens, with supervised resistance training showing the most notable benefits. While the study highlights the potential of exercise to enhance quality of life, it also underscores the need for strategies to sustain these improvements beyond the intervention period.
Key Takeaways:
- Resistance Training Improves Sleep and Symptoms: Supervised resistance training was linked to better sleep, reduced fatigue, and lower pain levels, particularly for in-person participants.
- Exercise Is Safe and Beneficial for Myeloma Patients: The findings challenge misconceptions about the risks of physical activity for patients with multiple myeloma, even those with bone disease.
- Long-Term Strategies Are Needed: While the intervention showed significant short-term benefits, maintaining these improvements requires further research into sustainable lifestyle changes.
Researchers from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center presented findings showcasing significant benefits of resistance training for patients with multiple myeloma, in a talk at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting.Â
The study, led by Jens Hillengass, MD, PhD, and Janine Joseph, MS, MBA, presents new evidence documenting that targeted exercise regimens can alleviate fatigue, improve sleep, and reduce pain, offering new hope for enhancing quality of life in cancer care.
The team’s six-month study evaluated 80 patients across three exercise groups: in-person supervised resistance training, virtual supervised resistance training, and unsupervised home-based walking. The most notable improvements were seen in fatigue, pain, and sleep in the resistance training groups, particularly among those who participated in person. However, maintaining these benefits beyond the intervention remains a challenge, underscoring the need for strategies that promote sustainable lifestyle changes.
Exercise as a Safe and Holistic Approach
“Our findings illustrate that resistance training provides relief from symptoms like fatigue and pain, even for patients with bone disease,” says Hillengass, chief of myeloma/amyloidosis at Roswell Park and senior author on the new study, in a release. “Our work challenges the misconception that physical activity is too risky for people with multiple myeloma, and we hope that these findings will pave the way for more holistic approaches to cancer care.”
This latest research builds on earlier work by Hillengass’ team, which demonstrated that physical activity in multiple myeloma patients is not only safe but also can improve immune health and physical function. The findings provide robust evidence of benefits gained by integrating personalized, supervised exercise regimens into cancer care, while emphasizing the need for ongoing research to sustain long-term improvements in patients’ quality of life.
“Physical activity can support patient empowerment in important ways. Through supervised programs, we’ve seen measurable improvements that help patients achieve greater control of their health and well-being,” adds Joseph, a researcher with Roswell Park’s Department of Cancer Prevention & Control, in a release.
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