Does grip strength decrease in the very early stages of hematological treatment?

Muscle weakness in hematological cancer patients undergoing acute stages of treatment is an important concern and strong predictor of poor outcomes. However, evidence of strength loss in the very early stages of cancer treatment is not addressed. Here, we found that grip strength was compromised within the first 7 days of hematological treatment (- 2.3 kg, P = 0.002). These findings are novel in elucidating lower handgrip strength in the first week of hematological treatment and encourage additional research focusing on handgrip strength in oncology patients under initial high-dose chemotherapy routine.