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Background: This pilot trial explores the feasibility of measuring muscle contractile properties in patients with cancer, effects of exercise during chemotherapy on muscle contractile properties and the association between changes in contractile muscle properties and perceived fatigue. Method: Patients who received (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy for breast or colon cancer were randomized to a 9‐12 week exercise intervention or a waitlist‐control group. At baseline and follow‐up, we measured knee extensor strength using maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), contractile muscle properties of the quadriceps muscle using electrical stimulation, and perceived fatigue using the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory. Feasibility was assessed by the proportion of patients who successfully completed measurements of contractile muscle properties. Exercise effects on muscle contractile properties were explored using linear regression analyses. Between‐group differences >10% were considered potentially relevant. Pearson correlation (rp) of changes in contractile muscle properties and changes in perceived fatigue was calculated. Results: Twenty two of 30 patients completed baseline and follow‐up assessments. Measurements of contractile properties were feasible except for muscle fatigability. We found a potentially relevant between‐group difference in the rate of force development favoring the intervention group (1192 N/s, 95% CI = −335; 2739). Change in rate of force development was negatively correlated with change in perceived general (rp = −0.54, P =.04) and physical (rp = −0.59, P =.02) fatigue. Conclusion: Chemotherapy induces a decrease in the rate of force development, which may reflect a larger loss in type II muscle fibers. This may be attenuated with (resistance) exercise. The increase in the rate of force development was related to a decrease in perceived fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oncokompas, cancer survivors monitor their quality of life by completing patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), followed by personalized feedback, self-care advice, and supportive care options to stimulate patient activation. The aim of this study was to investigate feasibility and pretest-posttest differences of Oncokompas including a newly developed breast cancer (BC) module among BC survivors. Material and methods: A pretest-posttest design was used. Feasibility was investigated by means of adoption, usage, and satisfaction rates. Several socio-demographic and clinical factors, and healthrelated quality of life (HRQOL) were explored that might be associated with patient satisfaction. Barriers and facilitators of Oncokompas feasibility were investigated by evaluating nurse consultation reports. Differences in patient activation (Patient Activation Measure) and patient-physician interaction (Perceived Efficacy in Patient-Physician Interactions) before and after Oncokompas use were investigated. Results: In total, 101 BC survivors participated. Oncokompas had an adoption rate of 75%, a usage rate of 75-84%, a mean satisfaction score of 6.9 (range 0-10) and a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of -36 (range -100-100) (N¼68). The BC module had a mean satisfaction score of 7.6. BC survivors who received surgery including chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy were significantly more satisfied with Oncokompas than BC survivors with surgery alone (p¼.013). Six facilitators and 10 barriers of Oncokompas feasibility were identified. After using Oncokompas, BC survivors scored significantly higher on patient activation (p¼.007; r¼.24), but not on patient-physician interaction (p¼.75). Conclusion: Oncokompas including a BC module is considered feasible, but needs further optimization to increase user satisfaction. This study shows the value of tailoring eHealth applications for cancer survivors to their specific tumor type. Oncokompas including the BC module seems to improve patient activation among BC survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]