Objectives: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a clinically relevant side-effect that impairs cancer survivors after treatment cessation. Exercise interventions have proven effective, however specific exercise modalities remain untested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of daily fatigue screenings and to show the impact of various exercise interventions on CRF. Methods: The randomised controlled pilot study ran for 4 weeks with 3 training sessions per week, in 5 groups: endurance versus strength (moderate- and vigorous-intensity levels for each) compared to a non-active control group. The primary outcome was feasibility, more specifically it was evaluated whether the documentation with the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) on a daily basis, and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI,) on a weekly basis are usable assessments to generate information about CRF. Results: Over the course of the four-week intervention 8.3% of the participants (n=3) dropped out. 33 of the initial 36 participants completed the exercise sessions with an adherence of 95%. Measurements of daily fatigue were collected three times per day, 85% of which were completely filled out. In regard to weekly fatigue, all but one of the questionnaires were submitted (99.5%). Neither during the intervention, nor during the tests, did any serious adverse events occur within the FatiGO study, hence the exercise intervention is considered to be feasible for participants. Conclusions: This pilot study showed the feasibility of close-meshed daily fatigue screening. Preliminary data indicates that Cancer survivors are able to train in high intensity ranges with tendencies towards decreased fatigue. Therefore, practicability of the study design is shown. Further results are expected within the prospective multicentre trial.

The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel