Exercise Programming Modelling a Standard of Care Approach Improves Physical Health and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Individuals Living with Breast Cancer: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Controlled study designs widely report that exercise improves the health of individuals living with breast cancer. Still, many individuals living with breast cancer are not active enough to experience the benefits of exercise. The Activating Cancer Communities through an Exercise Strategy for Survivors study was developed to reach more individuals living with cancer. This report describes the effects of a 12-week individualized exercise program that models a standard-of-care approach on body composition, physical fitness, and patient-reported outcomes in individuals living with breast cancer. Individuals living with breast cancer were recruited for the study and completed an exercise program twice weekly overseen by a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. A total of 43 participants completed the exercise intervention, and 36 withdrew from the study. All participants had significantly improved aerobic fitness, waist circumference, hip circumference, lower body endurance, physical activity behaviour, health-related quality of life, emotional status, and fatigue levels after completing the program. Flexibility, balance, and sleep scores did not change. The results from the 12-week individualized exercise program largely align with the results from more controlled study designs. These results support future initiatives integrating exercise therapy into the standard of care for individuals living with breast cancer.