High Intensity Functional Training for Patients Diagnosed with Cancer: A Study Evaluating the Feasibility of a Pragmatic Intervention

Purpose To investigate the feasibility of a municipality-based 16-week group-based HIFT-program (e.g. CrossFit) as a part of the physical rehabilitation of cancer survivors at different stages of cancer treatment. Methods Non-randomised clinical feasibility study. Younger adult patients (age 18–44 years) diagnosed with cancer who were referred to rehabilitation between August 2019 to December 2019 were eligible for inclusion. The group-based HIFT intervention was designed as a 16-week program with two sessions weekly (1.25 h each). The intervention program was not developed with pre-defined progression in terms of gradually added resistance, intensity, or volume during the 16 weeks period but the physiotherapist leading the sessions was trained in scalability. Feasibility was evaluated as retention, adherence, and accrual rates. Data on quality of life and cancer-related fatigue were measured EORTC QLQ-C-30 and evaluated using paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results Eighty-three percent of the eligible patients were included and initiated the HIFT program. However, 25% of the patients were not adherent to the intervention and only 34% of the patients were still adherent to the intervention after 4 months. Nonetheless, a significant improvement in cancer specific HRQoL was found from baseline [Mean = 53.4, 95%CI (47.6, 59.1)] to the end of the intervention [Mean = 66.3, 95%CI (60.8, 71.9)]. Conclusion It is possible to recruit patients diagnosed with cancer to a municipality-based HIFT rehabilitation program, however, adherence to the intervention is found to be difficult for the majority of the patients.