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Purpose Increasing physical activity level is a generally effective intervention goal for patients who suffer from chronic cancer-related fatigue (CCRF). However, patients are unlikely to benefit equally from these interventions, as their behavioral starting points might vary substantially. Therefore, we explored patterns of physical behavior of participants who suffer from CCRF. Methods Baseline data of a randomized controlled trial were used for a latent profile analysis on nine accelerometer-derived physical behavior measures, describing levels and patterns of physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), and sedentary behavior. The relation between participant characteristics and the latent profiles was analyzed. Results Accelerometer data of 172 participants from the Netherlands was analyzed. Three latent profiles were distinguished that differed most on physical activity level and total time spent in MVPA. Eighty-eight percent of all participants were assigned to a profile with a probability higher than 8. Age and perceiving limitations by comorbid conditions and pain were significant covariates of profile membership. Conclusions We distinguished three physical behavior profiles. The differences between the patterns indicate that the heterogeneity of this sample requires patients to have substantially different treatment goals. Further research should test the applicability of these profiles in clinical practice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12529-017-9670-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BACKGROUND: Approximately one third of all patients who have been successfully treated for cancer suffer from chronic cancer-related fatigue (CCRF). Effective and easily accessible interventions are needed for these patients. OBJECTIVE: The current paper reports on the results of a 3-armed randomized controlled trial investigating the clinical effectiveness of two different guided Web-based interventions for reducing CCRF compared to an active control condition. METHODS: Severely fatigued cancer survivors were recruited via online and offline channels, and self-registered on an open-access website. After eligibility checks, 167 participants were randomized via an embedded automated randomization function into: (1) physiotherapist-guided Ambulant Activity Feedback (AAF) therapy encompassing the use of an accelerometer (n=62); (2) psychologist-guided Web-based mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (eMBCT; n=55); or (3) an unguided active control condition receiving psycho-educational emails (n=50). All interventions lasted nine weeks. Fatigue severity was self-assessed using the Checklist Individual Strength - Fatigue Severity subscale (primary outcome) six times from baseline (T0b) to six months (T2). Mental health was self-assessed three times using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (secondary outcome). Treatment dropout was investigated. RESULTS: Multiple group latent growth curve analysis, corrected for individual time between assessments, showed that fatigue severity decreased significantly more in the AAF and eMBCT groups compared to the psycho-educational group. The analyses were checked by a researcher who was blind to allocation. Clinically relevant changes in fatigue severity were observed in 66% (41/62) of patients in AAF, 49% (27/55) of patients in eMBCT, and 12% (6/50) of patients in psycho-education. Dropout was 18% (11/62) in AAF, mainly due to technical problems and poor usability of the accelerometer, and 38% (21/55) in eMBCT, mainly due to the perceived high intensity of the program. CONCLUSIONS: Both the AAF and eMBCT interventions are effective for managing fatigue severity compared to receiving psycho-educational emails. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trialregister.nl NTR3483; http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=3483 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6NWZqon3o).