Exercise: Complementary Therapy for Breast Cancer Rehabilitation (original) (raw)
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Clinical and Translational Oncology, 2014
The number of breast cancer survivors increases every year, thanks to the development of new treatments and screening techniques. However, patients present with numerous side effects that may affect their quality of life. Exercise has been demonstrated to reduce some of these side effects, but in spite of this, few breast cancer patients know and follow the exercise recommendations needed to remain healthy. In this review, we describe the different breast cancer treatments and the related side effects and implications of exercise in relation to these. We propose that exercise could be an integrative complementary intervention to improve physiological, physical and psychological factors that affect survival and quality of life of these patients. For that reason, the main objective of this review is to provide a general overview of exercise benefits in breast cancer patients and recommendations of how to design exercise interventions in patients with different side effects.
Exercise for breast cancer survivors: bridging the gap between evidence and practice
Translational behavioral medicine, 2011
Evidence supporting the benefits of exercise following the diagnosis of breast cancer is overwhelming and compelling. Exercise reduces the severity and number of treatment-related side effects, optimizes quality of life during and following treatment, and may optimize survival. Yet, exercise does not uniformly form part of the standards of care provided to women following a breast cancer diagnosis. This commentary summarizes the evidence in support of exercise as a form of adjuvant treatment and identifies and discusses potential issues preventing the formal integration of exercise into breast cancer care. Proposed within the commentary is a model of breast cancer care that incorporates exercise prescription as a key component but also integrates the need for surveillance and management for common breast cancer treatment-related morbidities, as well as education. While future research evaluating the potential cost savings through implementation of such a model is required, a committ...
Health Education Research, 2004
Recovering from cancer treatment can be a difficult experience, both physically and psychologically. This paper describes a randomized controlled trial that evaluates the effects of exercise therapy upon quality of life in 120 women who have had breast cancer. To facilitate behaviour change, exercise counselling is also included as an integral component in the exercise therapy intervention. Participants are randomized to one of three groups: exercise therapy, body conditioning (placebo control) or a normal care control group. The supervised exercise therapy and body conditioning sessions take place 3 times per week for 8 weeks.
Women’s experience of physical activity following breast cancer treatment
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 2008
Women's experience of physical activity following breast cancer treatment Physical activity is of great benefit to women treated for breast cancer and can even be vital. The aim of this qualitative study was to describe how women treated for breast cancer experience physical activity after surgery. Twelve women, strategically selected according to hospital, age and length of time since surgery, took part in a semistructured interview. A qualitative method with a phenomenographic approach was used. The result indicates that the incentive to remain or return to a normal physical condition is an important motive for physical activity after breast cancer surgery. The experience of physical activity was, from the women's perspective, expressed in (i) compliance to instructions and need for support, (ii) struggle to get back to normal and fear of negative side-effects, (iii) a wish to stay normal and not allow limitations and (iv) getting control of the situation with new strategies. In conclusion, instructions and motivation are important in starting up and/or continuing physical activity after breast cancer treatment. While in considering the vital benefits of physical activity for breast cancer patients healthcare professionals, and in particular physiotherapists, must be aware of the need for information and the patients' motive for exercise and physical activity to be able to guide and encourage them individually. The professionals must also understand the need for empowerment for these women to take control over their lives and to allow the limitations that eventually occur.
Physical Exercise and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors
2008
An important goal for cancer patients is to improve the quality of life (QOL) by maximising functions affected by the disease and its therapy. Preliminary research suggests that exercise may be an effective intervention for enhancing QOL in cancer survivors. Research has provided preliminary evidence for the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of exercise training in breast cancer survivors. The aim of this study was to assess the association between physical exercise and quality of life in a population of female breast cancer survivors, followed up from diagnosis to the off-treatment time period, and investigated about their exercise habits in pre-diagnosis. A total of 212 female breast cancer survivors consecutively registered from January 2002 to December 2006 at a Supportive Care Unit in an Italian Oncology Department were enrolled. Exercise behaviour was assessed by the Leisure Score Index (LSI) of the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire. Patients were asked to report their average weekly exercise for three cancer-related time periods, i.e. pre-diagnosis, during active treatment and off-treatment. Quality of life was assessed by the Italian version of the WHOQOL-BREF standardised instrument. Statistical analysis indicated significant differences across the cancer-relevant time-periods for all exercise behaviour outcomes: the exercise behaviour was significantly lower during both on-and off-treatment than during prediagnosis; exercise during active treatment was significantly lower than during off-treatment. QOL strongly decreases during active treatment. Significant correlations were found between total exercise on-and off-treatment and all QOL indicators. Strenuous exercise is strongly correlated with QOL. Absent/mild exercise seems to be inversely correlated with a positive perception of disease severity and with quality of life on all axes. Need clearly results for inclusion of physical activity programs in comprehensive, complementary treatment regimes for breast cancer patients in Italian oncology departments.
Exercise in patients coping with breast cancer: An overview
World journal of clinical oncology, 2014
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, but fortunately has high survival rates. Many studies have been performed to investigate the effects of exercise in patients diagnosed with breast cancer. There is evidence that exercise after the diagnosis of breast cancer improves mortality, morbidity, health related quality of life, fatigue, physical functioning, muscle strength, and emotional wellbeing. Based on scientific data, breast cancer patients should be recommended to participate in rehabilitation programs including aerobic and strength training. The aim of this article is to review the recently published data on the effect of exercise in patients with breast cancer in order to present the current perspective on the topic.
Experiences of an Exercise Program: Perspectives from Breast Cancer Survivors
The Qualitative Report, 2021
Few studies have examined how breast cancer survivors experience an individually tailored group exercise program designed to help mitigate physical and psychosocial challenges and improve health outcomes. This research used qualitative interviews to provide insight into what motivates breast cancer survivors to join an exercise program, what they hope to gain from exercise programs, the barriers they experience to participation, and their overall satisfaction with the program. Thirty-three breast cancer survivors from Atlantic Canada completed semi-structured, qualitative interviews following the completion of a twelve-week supervised exercise program, and thematic analysis was applied to transcripts of the interviews. Our findings suggest of the participants generally enrolled in the program, in hopes of increasing energy levels and muscular strength, most reported increases in both outcomes by the end of the program, and obstacles to participation included fatigue, poor physical h...
What Do Breast Cancer Survivors Expect From Exercise?
Cancer Nursing, 2018
Background-Exercise outcome expectations (OE) (i.e., what one expects to obtain or avoid by exercising) are influential to increase exercise among cancer survivors. Objective-To measure the accessibility (i.e. frequency one thinks about exercise resulting in an outcome) and importance (i.e. one's value of the outcome) of OEs among breast cancer survivors. Methods-Stage Ia to IIb breast cancer survivors who were one to five years post-treatment completed OE questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to examine OE accessibility and importance. Results-The sample (n = 73) was 91.8% White, 5.4% African American, 1.4% Asian or Pacific islander and 1.4% other. The mean age was 58 (SD = 9.6). OE importance mean was 6.1 (SD = 0.4) indicating OEs are overall "important". Accessibility mean was 4.8 (SD = 0.6) demonstrating breast cancer survivors think about exercise OEs "sometimes/50% of the time". There was a moderate (r s = .48) relationship between OE importance and accessibility indicating they are related, yet distinct. Conclusions-OEs are generally important to breast cancer survivors. Thus, OEs may motivate increased exercise among this population. Implications for Practice-Oncology providers should encourage patients to think about OEs more often to increase exercise. Compared to traditional approaches of informing patients about exercise benefits, this may be a more comprehensive and powerful approach to motivate exercise among breast cancer survivors.
Journal of Surgical Oncology, 2004
Background and Objectives: This pilot project assessed the acceptability of a mixedtype, moderate-intensity exercise programme following breast cancer treatment, and the impact on presence of lymphoedema, fitness, body composition, fatigue, mood and quality of life. Methods: Ten women completed the programme and measures of fitness (submaximal ergometer test), body composition (bio-electrical impedance), lympoedema (bio-electrical impedance and arm circumferences), fatigue (revised Piper Fatigue Scale), mood (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), quality of life (FACT-B) and general well-being, at baseline, completion of the programme, and 6-week and 3-month follow-up. Results: Participation in the programme caused no adverse effect on the presence of lymphoedema. There was a trend towards reduction in fatigue and improved quality of life across the testing phases. Women rated the programme extremely favourably, citing benefits of the support of other women, trained guidance, and the opportunity to experience different types of exercise. Conclusions: A mixed-type, moderate-intensity exercise program in a group format is acceptable to women following breast cancer treatment, with the potential to reduce fatigue and improve quality of life, without exacerbating or precipitating lymphoedema. This pilot work needs to be confirmed in larger randomised studies.