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ISEO – Inaugural Conference July 22nd & 23rd 2026 - organized by DKFZ

22–23 Jul 2026
Heidelberg Congress Center
Europe/Berlin timezone

Organizing Team

Physical activity before and after radiotherapy. Reports from older patients with cancer

23 Jul 2026, 11:45
1h 15m
Heidelberg Congress Center ( Heidelberg Congress Center )

Heidelberg Congress Center

Heidelberg Congress Center

Czernyring 20 69115 Heidelberg Germany
1 - Scientific Poster Poster Session

Speaker

Dr Marit Slaaen (The Research Centre for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease (AFS), Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo)

Description

Introduction: Applying targeted measures to maintain physical activity and thereby function in older patients with cancer requires knowledge about activity level and influencing factors.
Study aim: To describe patient-reported physical activity in older patients with cancer before and after radiotherapy (RT) and explore potential associated factors.
Methods: A cluster-randomised pilot study (Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT03881137) tested effectiveness of geriatric assessment with management versus conventional care in patients ˃65 years, receiving palliative or curative RT. Since no impact on physical function or quality of life was found, the two arms were analysed jointly. Physical activity, defined as last month’s weekly frequency of light (not sweaty/out-of-breath) and heavy (sweaty/out-of-breath) activity, as in a Norwegian population survey, was reported at start and 8, 16 and 52 weeks after RT.
Results: Overall, 178 patients participated, mean age 74.1 years, 38.2% women, and 30.9% received palliative RT. Compliance in activity reports dropped from 97.8% to 69.1% (light) and 64.0% (heavy) at week 52. At baseline, nine patients reported no physical activity, 165 (93%) and 86 (48.3%) patients reported light and heavy activity of any duration, respectively, and 27 (15.2%) reported >2 hours of heavy activity. Among respondents at week 8, 16 and 52, the proportions reporting light and heavy activity remained stable, except for decrease in light activity for >2 hours per week from 57.5% [baseline] to 42.3% [52 weeks] and a slight increase in heavy activity for >2 hours from baseline to 24.2, 23.7 and 21.1% at subsequent assessments. Curative RT was associated with higher activity than palliative RT.
Conclusion: About half of patients reported activity consistent with physical exercise (heavy activity), and this proportion was maintained after RT. To further explore trajectories of activity and influencing factors (age, gender, cancer type, treatment intent, frailty status) regression models will be estimated.
NO COI TO DECLARE

Keywords

older, cancer, radiotherapy, physical activity

Abstract submitters declaration yes
Conflict of Interest & Ethical Approval yes

Authors

Dr Marit Slaaen (The Research Centre for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease (AFS), Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo) Dr Reidun Sletten (The Research Centre for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease (AFS), and The Cancer Department Gjøvik-Lillehammer, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway) Prof. Line Oldervoll (Center for Crisis Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway) Dr May Ingvild Volungholen Sollid (Department of Health Sciences in Gjøvik, NTNU, and The Research Centre for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease (AFS), Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway) Prof. Jūratė Šaltytė Benth (The Research Centre for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease (AFS), Innlandet Hospital Trust, and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, and Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Norway) Ms Bodil Sem Kolsgaard (The Cancer Department Gjøvik-Lillehammer, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway) Dr Guro Falk Eriksen (The Research Centre for Age-Related Functional Decline and Disease (AFS), and Department of Internal Medicine, Hamar Hospital, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Norway) Prof. Ingvild Saltvedt (Department of Neuromedicine and Movement science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway) Prof. Siri Rostoft (Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway) Dr Inga Røyset (Department of Neuromedicine and Movement science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and Department of Geriatric Medicine, Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway)

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