ABSTRACT
Introduction: Lung carcinomas account for 27 % of all cancers deaths, curative treatment is typically open thoracotomy, but recently Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) has recently been seen as a viable curative treatment option that may not have the same acute debilitating effects on lifestyle. Purpose: This study aimed to establish whether a male patient undergoing SABR for an operable lung carcinoma could maintain the American College of Sports Medicine recommended minimum exercise guidelines. Methods: The case study reports on a 57 year old male undergoing SABR (48Gy) for a lung carcinoma. The exercise program comprised 5x60 minute aerobic exercise sessions at moderate intensity and 3x45 minute sessions of resistance exercise per week over a 12 week observation period post treatment. Outcome measures including cardiorespiratory fitness, strength and fatigue, as well as psychological measures including depression, anxiety and sleep quality were recorded at baseline and then fortnightly during the observation period. Results: The patient achieved a 99% exercise adherence rate with no adverse events. Elevated levels of fatigue were reported from weeks 2-8 and adversely impacted the perception of exercise intensity. Minimal changes were reported in cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, depression, anxiety and sleep quality. Conclusion: This is the first reported clinical case of the safety and efficacy of maintaining an exercise regime during SABR for a lung carcinoma. The evidence suggests that exercise participation meeting exercise guidelines may be feasible for patients undergoing this treatment. Future research, utilising controlled study designs, is necessary to determine whether this result is representative of a broader sample of patients.