The Feasibility and Effects of an Individualized Aerobic and Resistance Training Protocol for Patients Suffering From Multiple Myeloma With Varying Risk of Fall and Fracture - a Pilot Study

Multiple myeloma is the second most common haematological cancer with a cancer incidence of around 500 new cases in Austria per year . Novel treatment methods have significantly increased the cancer-specific survival rate in patients with multiple myeloma. For Austria, this means that 5- and 10-year survival rates rose from 32.1 to 46.4% and from 19.0 to 25.6% from the end of the 1980s to the end of the 2000s.

Longer survival is associated with the need to maintain independence and quality of life in the longer term. In this context, regular physical training has seen a significant increase in the importance of cancer in recent years.The guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine still contain very general training recommendations for cancer patients. Either 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intensive endurance training per week are recommended, supplemented by at least two units of strengthening training and stretching exercises for the large muscle groups.

In a recent cross-sectional and pilot study with multiple myeloma patients that was carried out at the Clinic for Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Occupational Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna (EK 1725/2018), it was on the one hand identified that there was a discrepancy between these patients on the one hand has given actual and perceived risk of falling, and on the other hand it is concluded that training recommendations should be carried out separately in group and individual training according to the actual risk of falling and fracture.

The present project is the follow-up to this cross-sectional investigation. The aim is to examine the feasibility and effects of a structured, physical training program carried out over a period of 12 weeks on physical performance, quality of life, body composition and the risk of falling. The effects of patients with increased risk in individual training sessions are compared to those of lower risk patients in group training sessions. Furthermore, the study patients will be able to bring training partners with them to their own training units if available and for their own security. They are evaluated separately according to qualitative criteria.