Physical functional capacity of patients with glioma prior to adjuvant radiation: preliminary descriptive study

Background: Few studies have assessed physical functioning in glioma patients with grade II, III, IV glioma prior to undergoing adjuvant radiation with or without chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to describe the baseline physical functioning capacity of patients with glioma prior to adjuvant therapy compared to validated cut-offs required to maintain independence.Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study that recruited patients with grade II, III, IV glioma (n=33) undergoing adjuvant radiation with or without chemotherapy. The six-minute walk, thirty-second sit-to-stand and timed “Up & Go” assessments were used to describe baseline physical functioning. Perceived quality of life from the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) version 3.0 was used to quantify quality of life.Results: Mean distance walked in the six-minute walk test was 416.2 meters (SD 137.6 meters) with a mean of 12.2 stands (SD 3.4 stands) achieved during the thirty-second sit-to-stand. Median time to complete the timed “Up & Go” assessment was seven seconds (Interquartile Range: three seconds). One sample t-tests suggest walking distance and chair stands were significantly lower than cut-off criterions to maintain independent living, t(32)= -5.96, p <0.001, bias-corrected accelerated 95% CI [370.7 to 460.4] and, t(32)= -4.60, p<0.01, bias-corrected accelerated 95% CI [11.0 to 13.4] respectively. Wilcoxon signed-rank test identified significantly shorter median time taken to complete the timed “Up & Go” test compared to the cut-off criterion (z = -4.43, n= 33, p<0.01).Conclusion: This study suggests glioma patient’s aerobic endurance and lower limb strength are below criterion cut-offs recommended to maintain independent living. Timed “Up & Go” scores did not exceed the criterion cut-off, indicating respectable levels of mobility.