Background and Significance: Increased physical activity has been associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Further, moderate intensity physical activity has shown beneficial immune consequences including a greater clearance of tumor cells, and a decrease in metastases in animal studies. In patients with breast cancer, a moderate intensity exercise program (cycling 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes) has led to a significant improvement in life satisfaction and functional capacity, less discomfort, lower depression and anxiety, and a significant increase in natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Further, exercise is known to be one of the most effective strategies in reducing fatigue, nausea, and sleep disturbance, major complaints during cancer treatment. However, the benefits of exercise typically emerge only when exercise has been continued for at least several weeks at a certain level of intensity. Further, mechanisms or mediators of exercise leading to beneficial effects of exercise are not clear.
Objectives: The objectives of this presentation are to: (1) examine challenges and issues involved in physical activity intervention studies in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer; and (2) propose potential strategies for enhancing the investigation of physical activity interventions in breast cancer patients.
Findings: The challenges and issues involved in physical activity intervention studies include the following: recruitment and retention of participants; factors affecting adherence to physical activity programs as prescribed; optimal timing, intensity, frequency, and duration of physical activity programs; interactions between physical activity programs and therapeutic agents; effectiveness of the types of physical activity in cancer trajectory; motivating factors; intervention study design; appropriate measurements/instruments; physiological/immune outcomes of physical activity; mediators and mechanisms of physical activity programs on clinical outcomes; short-term versus long-term effects; individual differences related to genetic factors; and the need to combine physical activity programs with other non-pharmacological interventions (i.e., stress management, social support, and nutritional interventions). Potential strategies for these challenges and issues that we have developed in our own intervention study of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer will be discussed in the presentation.
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