Studying Changes in Physical Function Measures in Stem Cell Transplant Patients at Risk for Steroid Myopathy

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To perform a pilot study to estimate the change in six physical and functional tests over time in patients with suspected acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) who have been initiated on treatment with corticosteroids. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To describe and potentially define steroid myopathy by following the patterns of the muscle loss and functional impairment in this population of patients. II. To follow steroid myopathy and describe its incidence, its severity, and the impact on non-relapse mortality in a homogeneous population of patients with suspected acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) who have been initiated on treatment with corticosteroids at a quaternary institution in the inpatient and outpatient setting. III. To estimate the adherence to an intermittently supervised exercise program in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients who are at risk of developing steroid myopathy. OUTLINE: Patients complete a physical function test over 15 minutes at baseline, and at days 14, 28, and 56. Patients also participate in an 8-week home-based strengthening and walking program consisting of a strengthening/resistance program for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, and walking program for 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week.