Abstract
BackgroundLymphoma survivors commonly report ongoing complaints including fatigue, pain, depression and decreased quality of life (QoL) following treatment. Although evidence suggests that both relaxation and exercise can significantly improve such symptoms, there is no consensus on which intervention is more effective. This paper presents the REIL (Relaxation and Exercise In Lymphoma) Study protocol. The REIL study aims to compare the effect of two home-based interventions – relaxation and exercise – on QoL in lymphoma survivors.MethodsEligible participants (n = 36) will be randomised to a relaxation or exercise programme to perform at least three times per week. The primary outcome measure is QoL, assessed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QoL Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30). Secondary outcome measures include body composition, cardiovascular status, pulmonary function, grip strength, functional exercise capacity (six minute walk test), well-being assessed by the FACT-Lym questionnaire, and psychological status assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Total duration of the study will be twelve weeks and outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, six weeks and at the end of the study.DiscussionIt is anticipated that results from this preliminary study will begin to highlight effective pathways to improve QoL following chemotherapy for this population. This will better inform healthcare professionals to optimise QoL of lymphoma patients, and enable a smooth transition from being a cancer patient to survivor.Trial registrationThe REIL study has been registered on a publicly accessible database, ClinicalTrials.gov, Registration Number: NCT02272751, October 2014.
Highlights
Lymphoma survivors commonly report ongoing complaints including fatigue, pain, depression and decreased quality of life (QoL) following treatment
The Relaxation and Exercise In Lymphoma (REIL) study aims to address some of these issues highlighted by studying a sample of lymphoma survivors post-chemotherapy, supporting patients during the transition phase, comparison of two interventions, use of patient-reported outcome measures and emphasis on selfmanagement
The REIL study aims to study a sample of lymphoma survivors shortly post-chemotherapy, and compare the effectiveness of relaxation and exercise on improving QoL
Summary
A large proportion of lymphoma survivors continue to experience unmet needs following treatment [1,2,3]. Participants are supported to self-manage in a variety of ways, but the onus will be on them to initiate contact with the healthcare professionals for additional support when needed [7, 8] Both the relaxation and exercise programmes in this study are designed to be performed independently and participants will be supplied with resources to allow convenient home-based performance, including written instructions and advice. In addition to quantitative data from outcome measures, the end of study questionnaire will explore participants’ perceptions and feelings towards an intervention programme post-chemotherapy Such information will highlight behaviours and patterns in this sample of lymphoma survivors including reasons for participation, adherence and non-adherence, and any preferences; it is anticipated that this data will help in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle in lymphoma and cancer survivors. The authors will aim to publish results from this study to add to the evidence to inform healthcare professionals on effective interventions to improve QoL of lymphoma survivors
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