Despite evidence that exercise is both safe and efficacious at improving physical fitness, quality of life, and treatment side effects for individuals with cancer, lifestyle programming is not offered as standard of cancer care. This study describes an oncologist-referred, evidence-based exercise and healthy eating program offered in collaboration with a university as supportive care to women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy. The program was well received by oncologists and patients, safe, and relatively inexpensive to operate. Importantly, there was a significant positive impact on physical activity levels and health-related quality of life lasting for 2 years after initiation of therapy.
Adherence to supervised exercise delivered in a real-world clinical setting varies among breast cancer patients and across the treatment trajectory. Behavioral strategies and individualization in exercise prescriptions to improve adherence are especially important for later chemotherapy cycles, after treatment, and for resistance exercise.
Demographic variables, QoL, and receipt of a second surgery significantly predicted attendance throughout the NExT supervised exercise program. These results may help identify individuals with exercise adherence challenges and improve the design of future interventions, including optimizing the timing of program delivery.
Objective: To examine clinical outcomes and completion rates of cardiac rehabilitation in women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure. Methods: Data for women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure were compared with those for age-matched women with coronary artery disease. Retrospective data were obtained from the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute database for dates between 1998 and 2011, for cardiopulmonary exercise test results at baseline and 6 months, body composition measures, and cardiac rehabilitation completion rates. Results: A total of 29 women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure (mean 57 years (standard deviation (SD) 9.4)) and 29 age-matched women with coronary artery disease were identified. There was no significant difference between the proportion of women with breast cancer and treatmentrelated heart failure and those with coronary artery disease who completed the programme. Peak aerobic power (VO 2peak ) increased in the breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure group (mean 16.2 ml -1. kg -1. min -1 (SD 3.4) to mean 18.5 ml -1. kg -1. min -1 (SD 4.5) ; p = 0.002) and in the coronary artery disease group (mean 18.9 ml -1. kg -1. min -1 (SD 4.5) to mean 20.8 ml -1. kg -1. min -1 (SD 4.9); p = 0.01). Body fat percentage increased in the breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure group (mean 34.8% (SD 8.5) to mean 36.3% (SD 6.9); p = 0.04). Conclusion: Women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure participating in cardiac rehabilitation demonstrate similar significant gains in VO 2peak and similar completion rates to those of age-matched women with coronary artery disease. Further research is needed to determine interventions that improve body composition in women with breast cancer and treatment-related heart failure.
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