What is a Brain Tumour?
There are over 40 primary types of brain tumours, however they can be categorised into two main types including (Cancer Council, 2024):
- Malignant Brain Tumours which are cancerous and can rapidly spread to other parts of the brain or spinal cord.
- Benign Brain Tumours which are slower growing and have a reduced likelihood of spreading in comparison to a malignant brain tumour.
Brain tumours can result in seizures, headaches, weakness or paralysis in areas of the body, reduced balance, changes in personality, increased fatigue levels, changes in their senses and nausea. This can all therefore have a negative impact on an individual’s psychological and physical wellbeing and ultimately their quality of life.
Brain Tumour Statistics Within Australia
Non malignant tumours within the brain contribute to high rates of morbidity and mortality, with 1029 new cases of non-malignant tumours of the brain and other central nervous system cancers being recorded in Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia in 2013. Moreover, in 2015, 279 people passed away from these conditions in Australia (AIHW, 2017). Furthermore, in 2019, there were 1828 new cases of brain cancer diagnosed within Australia, including malignant brain tumours (Cancer Australia, 2024).
The Impact of Treatment on Brain Tumour Patients
Symptoms associated with having a brain tumour and subsequent treatment modalities can have a negative impact on an individual’s overall health including memory and concentration impairments, psychological wellbeing reductions, changes in body composition, an increased risk of developing further comorbidities, reduced coordination, reduced balance and increased fatigue levels (Levin et al., 2016; Qu et al., 2024; Capozzi et al., 2015).
Benefits of Exercise Engagement in People with a Brain Tumour
Engaging in regular physical activity has been found to promote improvements in a cancer survivors treatment outcome, fatigue levels, cognitive functioning, cardiovascular fitness, balance and coordination and overall psychological wellbeing (Brain Tumour Centre, 2024).
Studies have demonstrated that a combination of aerobic and resistance training over a 12-week period led to improvements in cardiovascular fitness, increases in grip strength, waist circumference, fatigue levels and overall psychological wellbeing (Capozzi et al., 2015; Levin et al., 2016) in those with a brain tumour. Additionally, it has been found that children who are brain tumour survivors with cranial irradiation, engaging in a 12-week moderate to vigorous intensity exercise program for up to 50 minutes at a time demonstrated significant improvements in bilateral coordination (Piscione et al., 2017).
How can an Exercise Physiologist Help?
Following receiving medical clearance from treating practitioners, an Exercise Physiologist can assist individuals with brain tumours who are undergoing treatment or have finished treatment in implementing a regular physical activity routine into their weekly life. An Exercise Physiologist can work with each individual to help set goals to therefore create an individualised program that is also safe to engage in and tailored to each individual’s presentation.
Written by Uplift Exercise Physiologist, Mykaila Walls and Grace Mckeown
References
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Brain and other central nervous system cancers, Summary. (2017). Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Click here
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Brain cancer in Australia statistics. (2019, December 18). Click here
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Cancer Council. (2023). Brain cancer | Causes, Symptoms & Treatments. Click here
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Capozzi, L. C., Boldt, K. R., Easaw, J., Bultz, B., & Culos-Reed, S. N. (2015). Evaluating a 12-week exercise program for brain cancer patients. Psycho-Oncology, 25(3), 354–358. Click here
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Levin, G. T., Greenwood, K. M., Singh, F., Tsoi, D., & Newton, R. U. (2016). Exercise Improves Physical Function and Mental Health of Brain Cancer Survivors. Integrative Cancer Therapies, 15(2), 190–196. Click here
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Piscione, P. J., Bouffet, E., Timmons, B., Courneya, K. S., Tetzlaff, D., Schneiderman, J. E., de Medeiros, C. B., Bartels, U., & Mabbott, D. J. (2017). Exercise training improves physical function and fitness in long-term paediatric brain tumour survivors treated with cranial irradiation. European Journal of Cancer, 80, 63–72. Click here
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Qu, C., Cao, Z., Zhou, J., He, S., Liu, F., & Liu, Z. (2024). Preoperative walking exercise to improve prognosis in patients with supratentorial brain tumours after craniotomy: protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 14(5), e080787–e080787. Click here
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Workout for Wellness | UCSF Brain Tumor Center. (2016). Ucsf.edu. Click here
