Physical activity, fatigue and quality of life in breast cancer patients

Abstract

Objective: to evaluate the relationship between levels of physical activity, fatigue and quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: 215 women between the ages of 40 and 65 years were recruited at a cancer clinic. Physical activity levels were assessed by using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), fatigue levels by using the revised Piper scale, and QOL by means of EORTC QLQ-C30 and WHOQOL-Bref. Statistical analysis was performed using Minitab statistical software, version 16. Results: the mean age of subjects was 52.66 years (SD=8.6); patients were mostly white (58.14%) and overweight (55.81%). Most women were fatigued (72.09%) while physically active women showed lower symptoms of fatigue (p<0.001). Mean scores for QOL were significantly lower among fatigued women (p<0.001). More active women scored higher on all scales of QOL (EORTC), especially for functional capacity (p<0.001), compared with the sedentary patients. A significant association was found between level of physical activity and overall QOL (WHOQOL-Bref) for all domains (p<0.001). Climacteric symptoms ranged from mild to strong and did not show any statistically significant results; however, the most active women had the fewest symptoms. Conclusion: physical activity appears to positively influence fatigue and QOL in women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Quality of Life of Post-Mastectomy Women Living in a Semi-Arid Region of Brazil

“…Canário et al (2016) [13] conducted a study in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, which corroborates our findings. A high prevalence of the symptoms mentioned above was found, therefore affecting the physical domain.…”

Effects of a Lifestyle Interventions Program on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors

“…Their results showed that: The hypothesized model provided a good fit in the full sample (χ 21 The results of our study were consistent with the results of this study too. Also, the randomized intervention trial of Schmidt et al 22 (2014) in breast cancer patients indicated a beneficial impact of resistance exercise Other similar research to our study, carried out by Canário et al 23 in 2016 .They evaluated the relationship between levels of physical activity, fatigue and quality of life (QOL) in women diagnosed with breast cancer. 215 women between the ages of 40 and 65 years were recruited at a cancer clinic.…”

“…They concluded: physical activity appears to positively influence fatigue and QOL in women diagnosed with breast cancer. 23 Saarto et al 24 in 2012 conducted a randomized trial entitled; effectiveness of a 12-month exercise program on physical performance and quality of life of breast cancer survivors. A total of 573 breast cancer survivors were assessed 12 months after adjuvant treatments by means of a 2 km walk, run test, physical fitness and QOL evaluation (EORTC).…”

The impact of physical activity on fatigue and quality of life during and after adjuvant treatment for breast cancer

“…Analyzing the impact of PA on fatigue and QoL requires accounting for the complexity and evolution of PA over time. However, these conditions are often not considered . In a cross‐sectional study, PA improved QoL and reduced fatigue in women with BC, but the evolution of PA was not studied .…”