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The following is a summary of “Postoperative Exercise Training in Patients with Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” published in the November 2024 issue of Surgery by Thomsen et al.
Patients undergoing surgery for colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) often experience reduced QoL, physical performance, and chemotherapy tolerance due to postoperative complications.
Researchers conducted a prospective study evaluating the safety and benefits of early postoperative exercise in patients with CRLM.
They randomized patients with CRLM undergoing open surgery (with or without chemotherapy) in a 2:1 ratio to exercise or control groups. The intervention group performed 30–50 minutes of low-to-high intensity exercise 5 times weekly for 8 weeks, beginning 1 day after discharge. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were the primary outcome, while secondary outcomes included non-SAEs, chemotherapy modifications, QoL, cardiorespiratory fitness, and physical performance.
The results showed 55 participants, and the number of SAEs was similar between groups (between-group difference [95% CI]: -0.07 [-0.59; 0.43] events). The number of non-SAEs was lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (between-group difference [95% CI]: -4.65 [-9.14; -0.17] events). Patients in the intervention group began postoperative chemotherapy earlier (median: 25 days vs. 42 days) and had fewer chemotherapy dose modifications (risk ratio [RR] [95% CI]: 0.55 [0.35; 0.88]). The intervention group reported improvements in QoL, cardiorespiratory fitness, and physical performance compared to the control group.
They concluded that early postoperative exercise was safe and provided significant benefits, including fewer non-SAEs, earlier chemotherapy initiation, and improved QoL in patients with CRLM.
