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  • Essay / The effectiveness of exercise in the treatment of childhood leukemia

    Table of contentsIntroductionMortalityRecurrenceTreatment-related adverse effectsConclusionReferencesIntroductionLeukemia is a cancer that affects the bone marrow and damages the formation of blood cells. It is the most common childhood cancer and accounts for 30% of all. childhood malignancies (Amitay and Keinan-Boker, 2015). Although there are several forms of childhood leukemia, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common and accounts for 26% of all childhood cancers (San Juan et al., 2007). There are approximately 3,000 children and young adults diagnosed with ALL each year in the United States (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 2019). Thanks to therapeutic improvements over the past decades, the cure rate is now 70%, which has led to a new awareness of the adverse effects associated with treatment (i.e., quality of life (QOL ) and functional capacity) (Lucia, Ramirez, San Juan, Fleck, Garcia-Castro, & Madero, 2005). Exercise has been shown to be a valuable tool for adults with and survivors of cancer, and additional research has begun to examine the effects of exercise on children with cancer (Gocha Marchese, Chiarello, & Lange, 2003; Lucía, Earnest and Pérez, 2003; Therefore, the aim of this brief review is to describe the role of aerobic and anaerobic exercise in improving mortality, recurrence, and treatment-related adverse effects of childhood leukemia. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'?Get the original essayMortalityChemotherapy, radiotherapy and other treatment methods have increased the survival rate of ALL to around 70% (Lucia , Ramirez, San Juan, Fleck, Garcia-Castro and Madero, 2005). Thanks to this aggressive protocol, 98% of patients diagnosed with ALL go into remission within a few weeks of starting treatment. There is little research on the impact of exercise on mortality and recurrence rates in ALL, but exercise has been shown to prevent or decrease the severity of adverse treatment effects (e.g., deconditioning, muscle weakness, reduced quality of life). Although the survival rate for ALL is relatively high, the long-term effects of treatment can be detrimental. A 25-year follow-up found that survivors were more likely to report poor general health and cardiovascular problems (e.g. congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest) (Mody et al, 2008) . A well-regulated exercise program can prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases. Recurrence The initial remission rate of ALL is promising, but approximately ⅓ of standard-risk patients and ⅔ of high-risk patients will experience disease recurrence (Oriol et al., 2010). . About 90% of those affected will be “cured” of the disease, but cure is defined as a 10-year period in remission (St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 2019). Previous research has indicated that relapse can occur later in life (around age 30), so even if a patient is considered cured, there is still a possibility of recurrence (Oriol et al., 2010). There is conflicting data regarding recurrence, but the minimum reported is that approximately 15-20% of people who enter complete remission will have the disease return later in life (Dana Farber Cancer Institute 2019). To the researchers' knowledge, no studies have documented the effects of exercise on ALL recurrence rates. However,As with mortality rates, exercise can attenuate adverse effects of treatments (e.g., fatigue, muscle weakness, deconditioning, quality of life). Treatment-Related Adverse Effects Some of the factors leading to decreased quality of life and functional capacity after treatment include muscle weakness. , decreased aerobic capacity, fatigue, reduced ankle range of motion, osteopenia and osteoporosis, weight changes, depression and pain (Burnham & Wilcox, 2002; Lucia, Ramirez, San Juan, Fleck, Garcia-Castro & Madero, 2005). Additionally, children who receive a bone marrow transplant typically suffer from severe physical deconditioning and muscle weakness, due to the intensive corticosteroid treatment following surgery (van Brussel, Takken, Lucia, van der Net & Helders, 2005). However, exercise has been shown to increase functional capacity and aerobic capacity in children and adults with cancer and survivors, leading to improved quality of life (Lucía, Earnest, & Pérez, 2003; Lucia , Ramirez, San Juan, Fleck, Garcia-Castro and Madero, 2005; A study examining the effect of 4 months of physical therapy and home-based aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training on children (ages 4 to 18 years) receiving treatment for ALL found improvements in ankle range of motion and knee extension strength, ultimately leading to improvements in gait (Marchese, Chiarello, & Lange, 2004). Additionally, another study found that 16 weeks of resistance (a set of 8 to 15 repetitions of 11 exercises) and aerobic training (30 minutes at >70% HRmax) improved upper and lower muscle strength. lower body, peak VO2, ventilatory threshold, and functional mobility test times (timed stair climb and timed 3 m and 10 m climbs and climbs) in a group of 4- to 7-year-old affected children of LAL (San Juan et al, 2007). Additionally, the majority of improvements in muscle strength and functional mobility were maintained after 20 weeks of detraining, while improvements in peak VO2 and ventilatory threshold were partially maintained (San Juan et al, 2007). Additionally, although studies have not examined the effect of exercise and the psychological health of ALL patients and survivors, previous publications have shown that exercise can improve the psychological health of ALL survivors. other cancers (Burnham and Wilcox, 2002; Galvão and Newton, 2005; Saxton et al, 2014).Keep in mind: this is just a sample.Get a personalized article now from our expert editors.Get a personalized trialConclusionALL is the most common form of childhood leukemia, with approximately 3,000 children and adults being diagnosed with ALL. year in the United States. With improvements in treatment, the survival rate is now around 70%, which has led to new awareness in the approval of adverse effects of treatment. Exercise has been shown to improve both quality of life and functional capacity in patients and survivors of ALL and other forms of cancer. Although research has not examined the effect of exercise on mortality and recurrence of ALL, exercise should be considered an important treatment modality to improve treatment-related adverse effects of ALL. ReferencesAmitay, EL and Keinan-Boker, L. (2015). Incidence of breastfeeding and childhood leukemia: a meta-analysis and systematic review. JAMA Pediatrics, 169(6), e151025-e151025.Burnham, TR and Wilcox, A. (2002). Effects of., ... &, 43(5), 607.