Peer-reviewed article
Safety of cardiorespiratory and muscle fitness assessment in two children with leukemia during early chemotherapy
Virginie Aspirot-Buron, Charles Sèbiyo Batcho, Michèle Bisson, Bruno Michon, Marc-André Dugas et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This is a medical pilot study evaluating whether fitness testing is safe for children with leukemia during chemotherapy. Two girls with acute lymphoblastic leukemia underwent cardiorespiratory and muscle fitness tests at two points during early chemotherapy. The study found that the tests were safe and did not interfere with treatment, though both children had low fitness scores and reported fatigue and pain during testing.
Key points
- Two children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia completed cardiorespiratory and muscle fitness assessments during early chemotherapy without adverse effects
- No impact on chemotherapy treatment schedule occurred from undertaking the tests
- Both participants reported thigh pain and fatigue as the most difficult aspects of cardiorespiratory testing
- Both participants showed low fitness scores compared to gender, weight and age-predicted norms
- The study was a pilot with only two participants at different risk levels
Limitations
This is a very small pilot study with only two participants, making it impossible to generalise findings to other children with leukemia or different demographic groups. The study focuses on safety and feasibility rather than evaluating any intervention to improve child health outcomes.
Abstract
Purpose Limited data are available on the cardiorespiratory and muscle fitness of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during chemotherapy. This pilot study evaluated the safety of testing the cardiorespiratory and muscle fitness of two children with ALL at different risk levels in early chem treatment. Methods Two girls with low- and high-risk B-cell ALL (DFCI-16-001) took part in two test sessions: T1 (induction, consolidation 1A/C) and T2 (consolidation 2). Each testing session included a maximal oxygen uptake ( V ˙ O 2 max) exercise test, muscular strength tests, physical activity and quality of life questionnaires, and a semi-structured interview. The parents agreed to these assessments at the start of chemotherapy treatment. Results The participants experienced no significant adverse effects from undertaking the cardiorespiratory and muscular tests, and there was no impact on their chemotherapy treatment schedule. At their post-test interview, both participants reported that thigh pain and fatigue were the most difficult part of the V ˙ O 2 max exercise test. Regarding physical performance outcomes, both participants exhibited low scores compared to their gender, weight- and age-predicted V ˙ O 2 max and on most strength test values. Conclusion The physical tests were safely and successfully conducted with these two participants during early chemotherapy.