NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A walking exercise program can reduce fatigue levels in patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) undergoing chemotherapy, according to the results of a new study.

Dr. Yeur-Hur Lai of National Taiwan University in Taipei and colleagues randomly assigned 22 hospitalized AML patients undergoing chemotherapy to a walking group or to a control group. The experimental group walked 12 minutes per day, 5 days per week for 3 weeks, and the control group received standard ward care.

All patients were evaluated before chemotherapy began and on days 7, 14, and 21 of chemotherapy. The complete study findings are published in the May issue of the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

The investigators report that patients in the walking exercise program had lower levels of fatigue intensity and interference than those in the control group. Levels of symptom distress, anxiety, and depression were also lower in the walking group. A significantly greater increase in 12-minute walking distance was also observed in patients in the interventional group compared with those in the control group.

"Taken together, our preliminary findings suggest that a brief exercise-driven program, such as the walking exercise program, should be started at the beginning of chemotherapy to decrease chemotherapy-related fatigue," Lai's team concluded. "Standardizing the walking exercise program as part of a chemotherapy-related care model should be feasible and encouraged to improve cancer-related fatigue experiences."

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