Brent M. Peterson, Daniel Y.K. Shackelford, Jessica M. Brown, Alyse P. Brennecke, Reid Hayward
Kinesiology and Health Science, Biola University, 90639 La Mirada, USA.
DOI: 10.2340/20030711-1000032

Objective: Diagnoses of anaplastic oligodendrogliomas are rare. For cancer rehabilitation practitioners, anaplastic oligodendroglioma may impact on the development and maintenance of prescriptive exercise. Exercise interventions for healthy individuals and cancer patients have been shown to increase functional capacity, psychosocial functioning, and aspects of cognitive function. However, there is a lack of research into exercise interventions among patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma. This case report of a patient with anaplastic oligodendroglioma, measures the effects of aerobic and flexibility training on physiological, psychosocial, and cognitive functioning.
Patient: A 44-year old woman diagnosed with class III anaplastic oligodendroglioma with 1p19q genetic co-deletion underwent left-frontal craniotomy, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment. Comprehensive physical, psychosocial, and cognitive assessments were completed before and after a 36-session exercise intervention.
Results: Following the intervention improvements were observed in 9 of the 14 physiological measures. Fatigue decreased by 20% and quality of life increased by almost 70%. Improvements were also observed in 6 of the 12 cognitive assessment variables.
Conclusion: The 36 sessions of aerobic and flexibility training were well-tolerated by the subject. The results demonstrate the feasibility and importance of aerobic and flexibility training for the attenuation of cancer-related decrements in physiological and psychosocial variables in patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma. The effects on cognitive function were uncertain.

Patients with brain cancer represent a very small number of the overall yearly cancer diagnoses in the United States, with those diagnosed with anaplastic oligodendroglioma, accounting for nearly 30% of those diagnoses. Practitioners providing cancer rehabilitation for patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma may find that it impacts on the implementation of exercise programming. Research has long supported the implementation of exercise for health improvements in patients with cancer. However, very little information is available regarding exercise interventions in patients with anaplastic oligodendroglioma. We report here a case of a woman with anaplastic oligodendroglioma in whom aerobic and flexibility training resulted in improvements in fatigue, depression, quality of life, aerobic fitness, and cognitive function. Aerobic and flexibility training was shown to be a feasible and tolerable intervention method in this patient with anaplastic oligodendroglioma.