Feasibility of Fitness Testing in Children Treated for Suprapituitary Brain Tumors: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT &NA; Children with suprapituitary brain tumors often become obese after surgical intervention and consecutive therapy. Although physical training was recently advocated in these patients, there is a lack of data regarding the feasibility of both exercise testing and exercise capacity of these patients. Four children surgically and pharmacologically treated for suprapituitary brain tumors were tested for body composition, muscle strength, and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak) during exercise. All patients completed the fitness testing with no adverse events. A high adiposity, lower muscle strength, and maximal exercise capacity were found in all 4 patients. VO2peak, VO2peak/kg and the VT were on average 58%, 57%, and 40% of predicted values respectively. This pilot study of 4 patients treated for a suprapituitary brain tumor found that standard fitness testing was feasible in these patients. The results indicated a marked reduction in exercise capacity and muscle strength, and increased levels of body fat in these patients. These observations suggest the need for inclusion of fitness assessments in the long-term follow-up of these children.