Wypyrsczyk L; Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz,  Germany
Kuhn M; Dreismickenbecker E; Neu MA; et al

Pediatric Hematology & Oncology. 43(5):227-240, 2026 Aug.
Headings by Dr Older

Background The 6-min cycling test (6MCT), a submaximal endurance test, has not yet
been applied in pediatric oncology. This study evaluates its feasibility
and validity in 71 childhood cancer patients (9.6 +/- 4.0 years).
Methods For validation, 46 patients additionally underwent cardiopulmonary exercise
testing (CPET). Performance in the 6MCT (total revolutions) was correlated
with peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and peak work rate (WRpeak) using
Spearman’s correlation. Linear regressions assessed the predictive value
of VO2peak and WRpeak on 6MCT performance. Sixty-six participants (93%)
successfully completed the 6MCT, averaging 550 +/- 129 revolutions.
Results Revolutions correlated moderately with VO2peak (rho = 0.46, p = 0.001) and
strongly with WRpeak (rho = 0.64, p < 0.001). VO2peak significantly
predicted 6MCT performance (p = 0.001, R2 = 0.214), whereas WRpeak
explained more variance (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.488).
Conclusions The results demonstrate that the 6MCT is a feasible, valid endurance assessment in this
population, offering a promising alternative when gold standard testing is
not available.