Kinney Anita Y, An Jinghua, Lin Yong, Tundealao Samuel, Saraiya Biren, Lu Shou-En, Guest Dolores D, Harding Elizabeth M, Amorim Fabiano, Heidt Emily, Arana-Chicas Evelyn, Chen Chunxia, Boyce Tawny, Kim Isaac Y, Arap Wadih, Blair Cindy K, Irwin Michael R
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Rutgers University School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
BMC Complement Med Ther. 2025 Jul 4;25(1):239. doi: 10.1186/s12906-025-04988-7.
Fatigue is often one of the most commonly reported symptoms in older male cancer survivors, but it is also one of the least understood cancer-related symptoms. Fatigue is associated with psychological distress, disruptions in sleep quality, and impairments in health-related quality of life. Thus, elective treatments for fatigue in older male cancer survivors represent a current unmet need. Prior research has shown that Tai Chi Qigong (TCQ), a mind-body exercise intervention, can improve physical and emotional health. Therefore, we compared the efficacy of Tai Chi Qigong (TCQ) versus exercise intensity-matched (EIM) and usual care in older, male cancer survivors with fatigue.
We conducted a three-arm, single-blind randomized controlled trial where older (55 + years), male cancer survivors with fatigue participated in usual care or one of two supervised group exercise programs: TCQ or EIM twice weekly for 12 weeks. Participants were followed up for 12 months. The primary outcome was patient-reported fatigue at 3-months post-intervention.
A cohort of men (n = 113) were enrolled (mean age: 69.1 (±7.0) years. In the primary outcome analysis, there were no significant within-arm or between-arm differences in fatigue (p-value, NS). However, the TCQ and EIM arms showed significant within-arm improvement in fatigue immediately post-intervention (p-value < 0.05). There were no differences in class attendance for either TCQ or EIM, with an average attendance rate of 78.4% and 76.8%, respectively.
We found no significant or clinically meaningful improvements in fatigue for TCQ or EIM relative to usual care at the 3-month follow-up. However, significant improvements in fatigue were observed immediately after completion of the 12-week TCQ and EIM programs. This study suggests that TCQ and light intensity activity may lead to improvements in fatigue immediately after the group exercise program among older, fatigued male cancer survivors. However, the observed improvements did not persist beyond the program, suggesting that long-term maintenance may be required. Further testing is warranted in larger trials that include strategies to sustain both the behavior and the effects.
This study was registered at the NIH clinical trial registry on November 17, 2017 (NCT03345563).
疲劳常常是老年男性癌症幸存者报告最多的症状之一，但它也是人们了解最少的癌症相关症状之一。疲劳与心理困扰、睡眠质量紊乱以及健康相关生活质量受损有关。因此，针对老年男性癌症幸存者疲劳的选择性治疗目前仍未得到满足。先前的研究表明，太极拳气功（TCQ），一种身心锻炼干预方法，可以改善身心健康。因此，我们比较了太极拳气功（TCQ）与运动强度匹配（EIM）以及常规护理对患有疲劳的老年男性癌症幸存者的疗效。
我们进行了一项三臂、单盲随机对照试验，年龄较大（55岁及以上）、患有疲劳的男性癌症幸存者参与常规护理或两个有监督的团体运动项目之一：TCQ或EIM，每周两次，共12周。对参与者进行了12个月的随访。主要结局是干预后3个月患者报告的疲劳情况。
招募了一组男性（n = 113）（平均年龄：69.1（±7.0）岁）。在主要结局分析中，组内或组间在疲劳方面没有显著差异（p值，无显著性）。然而，TCQ组和EIM组在干预后立即显示出组内疲劳有显著改善（p值<0.05）。TCQ组和EIM组的上课出勤率没有差异，平均出勤率分别为78.4%和76.8%。
在3个月的随访中，我们发现相对于常规护理，TCQ或EIM在疲劳方面没有显著或具有临床意义的改善。然而，在完成12周的TCQ和EIM项目后，立即观察到疲劳有显著改善。这项研究表明，在患有疲劳的老年男性癌症幸存者中，TCQ和低强度活动可能会在团体运动项目结束后立即导致疲劳改善。然而，观察到的改善在项目结束后并未持续，这表明可能需要长期维持。在更大规模的试验中进行进一步测试是有必要的，这些试验应包括维持行为和效果的策略。
本研究于2017年11月17日在美国国立卫生研究院临床试验注册中心注册（NCT03345563）。
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