Exercise Is Good for Breast Cancer Survivors

Exercise Is Good for Breast Cancer Survivors

Short bursts of exercise can help improve breast cancer survivors' health and help them feel better, according to new study findings.

The results, from M. D. Anderson's six-month "Active for Life after Breast Cancer Study," were published in the July 14 issue of the journal Patient Education and Counseling.

"The wonderful take-away message from this study is that simple exercises, such as walking during coffee breaks or parking farther away from work, can have beneficial effects on physical health and functioning," says the study's principal investigator Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., associate professor in M. D. Anderson's Department of Behavioral Science. "Exercise doesn't need to be a daunting activity or even an organized outing to reap significant rewards for breast cancer survivors."

Study description: Who exercised and how much?

In the study, 60 breast cancer survivors were placed randomly into either a lifestyle intervention group or a standard care control group.

Lifestyle intervention group- Researchers taught participants to incorporate short periods of moderate exercise into their daily routines, which included 30 minutes of physical exercise at least five days per week. Participants met weekly for four months and then semi-weekly for two months to learn cognitive and behavioral skills to support effective behavioral change.

Standard care control group- Members of this group did not meet or receive guidance on incorporating exercise into their lives.

Basen-Engquist notes that study leaders invited participation from a pool of breast cancer survivors who had recently completed both radiation and chemotherapy. Women who maintained primarily sedentary lifestyles were chosen as ideal candidates "because we wanted to see if through the study they would integrate exercise into their daily lives," she says.

Primary results: Exercise group fared well

Study results show that lifestyle intervention group members:

• Walked an average of 100 feet farther than the control group
• Showed significant physical improvement over the control group
• Made significant progress incorporating exercise throughout the day

"We found that exercise improved participants' ability to perform certain physical tasks, increased self-reports of feeling healthy and decreased pain and the degree to which their activities were limited by physical health problems," Basen-Engquist says.

The study also examined exercise barriers including:

• Time restraints
• Other commitments
• Fatigue
• Pain or muscle problems
• Incontinence
• Hot flashes

Goal of study: Improve quality of life for survivors

In recruiting study participants, M. D. Anderson partnered with the Kelsey Research Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of patient care and health outcomes through research and education; Kelsey-Seybold, a large, multi-specialty health care clinic; the Sisters' Network Inc. - Houston Chapter, a support and advocacy group for African-American breast cancer survivors; and The Rose, a Houston non-profit agency that sponsors support groups for breast cancer survivors.

What's next: Possible large, randomized trial

"One of the goals of our cancer program is to improve the quality of life of our cancer survivors," says Anthony Greisinger, Ph.D., executive director of the Kelsey Research Foundation. "Our staff was encouraged by Dr. Basen-Engquist's positive findings and we hope to evaluate this exercise intervention in a larger study with M. D. Anderson Cancer Center."

Basen-Engquist is encouraged by the study's positive findings. She says that if the lifestyle approach is shown to be effective in a larger randomized trial, it represents a highly practical intervention that easily can be delivered to breast cancer survivors by health care institutions or community organizations without dedicated exercise facilities and equipment.

- From staff reports