Supervised physical exercise improves VO2max, quality of life, and health in early stage breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Breast cancer patients suffer impairment in cardiorespiratory fitness after treatment for primary disease, affecting patients' health and survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of a pragmatic exercise intervention to improve cardiorespiratory fitness of breast cancer patients after primary treatment. Between February 2013 and December 2014, 94 women with early stage (I-III) breast cancer, 1-36 months post-chemotherapy, and radiotherapy were randomly assigned to an intervention program (EX) combining supervised aerobic and resistance exercise (n = 44) or usual care (CON) (n = 45) for 12 weeks. Primary study endpoint was VO 2max . Secondary endpoints were muscle strength, shoulder range of motion, body composition, and quality of life (QoL). Assessments were undertaken at baseline, 12-week, and 6-month followups. Eighty-nine patients aged 29-69 years were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks. The EX group showed significant improvements in VO 2max , muscle strength, percent fat, and lean mass (p B 0.001 in all cases) and QoL compared with usual care (CON). Apart from body composition, improvements were maintained for the EX at 6-month follow-up. There were no adverse events during the testing or exercise intervention program. A combined exercise intervention produced considerable improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function, and quality of life in breast cancer patients previously treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Importantly, most of these benefits were maintained 6 months after ceasing the supervised exercise intervention.

Health Behaviors in Cervical Cancer Survivors and Associations with Quality of Life

“…Women with cervical cancer who improved their health behaviors over the 4-month follow-up experienced a two-fold greater improvement in QOL than did those women who made no changes or who increased their risk-prone behaviors (p=0.026). While an intervention study focused on physical activity in breast cancer survivors did result in improved QOL, 29 a meta-analysis of intervention studies designed to improve lifestyle factors for ovarian and endometrial cancer survivors did not show significant improvement in QOL. 30 Further confirmation of the longitudinal effect of changes in health behaviors on QOL in female cancer survivors is needed.…”

“…4,6 The ability of interventions to improve QOL through health behavior changes is uncertain. Improved QOL following an exercise intervention has been reported in breast cancer survivors, 29 however a meta-analysis including 8 studies of ovarian and endometrial cancer survivors noted only non-significant improvements in QOL following physical activity interventions. 30 …”

The effects of three different exercise modalities on markers of male reproduction in healthy subjects: a randomized controlled trial

“…Although the exact mechanisms by which improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness benefits male reproductive potential are not clear yet, several lines of evidence have correlated post-exercise alterations in VO 2max , among others, to improved body composition measures (leanmass:fat-mass) (Casla et al 2015). Therefore, in the present study, post-exercise improvements in semen quality and sperm DNA integrity are likely related, in part, to the effects of exercise training on measures of body composition and cardio-respiratory fitness.…”

Assessment and management of bone health in women with oestrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer receiving endocrine therapy: position statement summary

“…However, a large RCT ( n = 498) reported that combined step aerobic and circuit training modestly reduced bone loss in pre‐menopausal women at the femoral neck (mean BMD difference, 1.2%; 95% CI, 0.2–2.2; P = 0.02). Exercise leads to multiple benefits in women with breast cancer, including improved quality of life, reduced aromatase inhibitor‐associated arthralgia, and possible improved breast cancer outcomes . Evidence regarding vitamin D and calcium supplementation specific to breast cancer survivors is not available.…”