Exercise Intervention: Attrition, Compliance, Adherence, and Progression Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Background: Exercise is widely touted as an effective intervention to optimize health and well-being after high-dose chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objectives: This article reports attrition, compliance, adherence, and progression from the strength training arm of the single-blind randomized, controlled trial Strength Training to Enhance Early Recovery (STEER).

Methods: 37 patients were randomized to the intervention and participated in a structured strength training program introduced during hospitalization and continued for six weeks after release. Research staff and patients maintained exercise logs to document compliance, adherence, and progression.

Findings: No patients left the study because of burden. Patients were compliant with completion of exercise sessions, and their adherence was high; they also progressed on their exercise prescription. Because STEER balances intervention effectiveness with patient burden, the findings support the likelihood of successful translation into clinical practice.