Effects of Semisupervised Exercise Training on Health Outcomes in People With Lung or Head and Neck Cancer: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Lung or head and neck cancers are known for their high prevalence and mortality rates. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are usually recommended as cancer treatment for these malignancies; however, they can negatively impact both the physical and mental status of patients. Hence, it is reasonable to consider resistance and aerobic exercise training to prevent these negative health outcomes. Further, several factors prevent patients from attending outpatient exercise training programs, and, therefore, a semisupervised home-based exercise training program may be seen as a well-accepted alternative.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study will be to investigate the effects of a semisupervised home-based exercise training program on physical performance, body composition, and self-reported outcomes; changes in the initial cancer treatment dose prescribed; number of hospitalizations at 3, 6, and 9 months; and 12-month survival in people with primary lung or head and neck cancer.

METHODS

Participants will be randomly allocated to the training group (TG) or control group (CG). The TG will undergo semisupervised home-based resistance and aerobic exercise training throughout their cancer treatment. The resistance training will be performed using elastic bands (TheraBand) twice a week. The aerobic training (ie, brisk walk) will be performed for at least 20 minutes per day outdoors. The equipment and tools used during the training sessions will be provided. This intervention will start the week before treatment commencement, will be performed throughout the duration of the treatment, and will continue for 2 weeks after treatment completion. The CG will undergo usual care (ie, cancer treatment with no formal exercise prescription). Assessments will take place 2 weeks before the beginning of the usual cancer treatment and 2 weeks after treatment completion. The measures of physical function (peripheral muscle strength, functional exercise capacity, and physical activity), body composition, and self-reported outcomes (symptoms of anxiety and depression, health-related quality of life, and symptoms related to the disease and treatment) will be collected. We will report on any change in the initial cancer treatment dose prescribed; number of hospitalizations at 3, 6, and 9 months; and 12-month survival.

RESULTS

In February 2021, the clinical trial registration was approved. Recruitment and data collection for the trial are ongoing (as of April 2023, 20 participants had already been randomized), and findings of this study are likely to be published late in 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

This exercise training as a complementary treatment for patients with cancer is likely to promote positive effects on the health outcomes assessed, over and above any change in the CG, and prevent the reduction of initial cancer treatment dose prescribed. If these positive effects are shown, they will likely impact long-term outcomes such as hospitalizations and 12-month survival.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC) RBR-5cyvzh9; https://ensaiosclinicos.gov.br/rg/RBR-5cyvzh9.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/43547.

Upper respiratory tract and otolaryngological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A systemic review

To detect, analyze, and discuss the different ear nose throat manifestations, those were reported in coronavirus disease-positive patients in the published and reviewed literature. Coronavirus disease has been reported to present with several symptoms. Common symptoms include new onset of fever, cough, fatigue, and myalgia. Other symptoms like sputum production, dyspnea, rhinorrhea, anosmia, nasal stuffiness, headache, and sore throat are less frequently reported, but the clinical presentation is highly variable among individuals. We review the otolaryngologic manifestations of coronavirus disease reported in the published literature to assess its importance in the early diagnosis of coronavirus disease. We searched PubMed database, MEDLINE, Web of Science, LILACS, SciELO, and Cochrane Library to find out relevant articles, using the following keywords: COVID-19, clinical features, characteristics, symptoms, clinical, manifestations, throat, cough, rhinorrhea, COVID-19 anosmia, headache, nasal, coronavirus, and coronavirus otolaryngologic. Article selection was based on their relevance to the research question. Totally, 14 articles and 2971 patients were recruited for our study. A wide variety of upper and lower airway manifestations were reported. Fever (34%-96.5%), cough (17.9%-83%), myalgia or fatigue (10%-31%), expectoration (20%-32.7%), dyspnea (7.6%-7.5%), rhinorrhea (1%-6.8%), sore throat (4%-61%), nasal congestion (3%-4.8%), and headache (3%-16.2%) were the most common symptoms reported. Our findings confirm that coronavirus disease infection presents with a wide spectrum of clinical presentation. The ear nose throat manifestations for coronavirus disease are not uncommon, but more attention should also be paid to patients with otolaryngologic symptoms which can appear early, as this could encourage an earlier diagnosis and treatment, which limits spread of the disease.

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Haemolacria is a rare condition that usually occurs secondary to a hidden pathology. On rare occasions when no underlying cause may be found, it is called essential idiopathic haemolacria. Here the authors report a case of a 13-year-old girl presented to the ophthalmology emergency department with spontaneous bloody tears from both eyes for the past six months. There was associated bleeding from the ear. The rest of the systemic and ophthalmology examinations were within normal limits. She was investigated systemically to look for any underlying pathology; however, her blood investigations, radiological imaging and local examinations performed by the Otorhinolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Gynaecology and Internal Medicine departments were all normal. A final diagnosis of bilateral essential haemolacria was made.

Lasers in Οtolaryngology: A Laser Odyssey From Carbon Dioxide to True Blue

In this special issue of the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) journal entitled Lasers in Otolaryngology, we attempted to cover and accommodate different experiences from around the globe on both established and some not so well-known techniques and indications for Lasers in most ENT subspecialties. Despite the COVID 19 pandemic, authors from all over the world have expressed their interest in publishing their Laser experiences with ENT journal and for this we are very grateful.

Magnetically driven medical devices: a review

A widely accepted definition of a medical device is an instrument or apparatus that is used to diagnose, prevent or treat disease. Medical devices take a broad range of forms and utilize various methods to operate, such as physical, mechanical or thermal. Of particular interest in this paper are the medical devices that utilize magnetic field sources to operate. The exploitation of magnetic fields to operate or drive medical devices has become increasingly popular due to interesting characteristics of magnetic fields that are not offered by other phenomena, such as mechanical contact, hydrodynamics and thermodynamics. Today, there is a wide range of magnetically driven medical devices purposed for different anatomical regions of the body. A review of these devices is presented and organized into two groups: permanent magnetically driven devices and electromagnetically driven devices. Within each category, the discussion will be further segregated into anatomical regions (e.g., gastrointestinal, ocular, abdominal, thoracic, etc.).