The Senior Fitness Test for assessing functional fitness in cancer patients and survivors: a cross-sectional study.

Authors

Frieder Krause, Sofie Nieland, Katharina Graf, Elke Jäger, Lutz Vogt

Published in

Scientific reports. Volume 16. Issue 1. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 07, 2026.

Abstract

Cancer patients commonly experience declines in quality of life and physical function. The Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status Scale is widely used to assess functional status; however, it lacks objective measures of physical fitness. The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) provides a structured and standardized approach to objectively quantify functional abilities. This study aimed to assess functional status in cancer patients using the SFT and to examine its relationship with ECOG performance status. Patients undergoing or having completed anti-cancer treatment were recruited for this study. Multicomponent functional fitness was assessed by a trained exercise scientist using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT), including the 2-min step test, 30-s arm curl, 30-s chair stand, chair sit-and-reach, back scratch and the Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUGT). ECOG performance status was extracted from current medical records or determined by a senior researcher according to official rating guidelines. For each SFT component, individual test results were assigned an age based on normative reference values. Fitness age (FA) was calculated as the mean age across all six SFT measures. A total of n = 30 subjects (f = 15, 61.6 ± 12.1y, 16 during & 14 after therapy) participated in this study. Within the present sample, FA differed significantly from chronological age (+ 8.59 years, 95%-CI: 3.65-13.5, p<0.001) with no differences between therapy stages. Patients defined as limited in their functional status (ECOG 1&2) showed no significant difference between FA and chronological age compared to patients with ECOG stage 0 (p=0.346). The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) is a feasible tool to assess functional status in cancer patients and survivors. Participants exhibited functional deficits equivalent to nearly nine years of age advancement compared with healthy norms, which were not reflected by ECOG performance status and did not differ between patients undergoing treatment and survivors. These findings emphasize the need for objective functional assessments to guide tailored exercise interventions that address long-term limitations and improve quality of life.

PMID:
42567935
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Aug 2026.

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