A study looked into if exercise could benefit individuals who are dealing with metastatic breast cancer.
Metastatic Breast Cancer
When breast cancer starts spreading from the breast to other body parts, this is the beginning of metastatic breast cancer. This is also referred to as Stage IV breast cancer or advanced breast cancer. Not everyone dealing with breast cancer experiences metastatic breast cancer.
At present, there is no cure for metastatic breast cancer. The treatments for it focus on boosting quality of life and prolonging life.
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Exercise and Metastatic Breast Cancer
As the condition typically reduces the quality of life of a patient, researchers are looking into ways to improve this quality of life. In the specific study, they wanted to examine the extent of how a consistent exercise regimen could alleviate symptoms.
As part of the study, over 300 participants from different medical institutions in Sweden, Netherlands, Spain, and Australia were recruited for the trial. The participants all had metastatic breast cancer. According to Professor Anne May, PhD, who is from the University Medical Center Utrecht Julius Center in the Netherlands and the principal investigator of the study, the participants included in the study had at least 6 months life expectancy. Those who had uncontrolled severe pain or unstable bone metastases were not included in the study.
These participants were divided into control and exercise groups. Those belonging to the exercise group joined an exercise program twice a week. This exercise program covered three parts that participants had to finish in each session. This included balance training, high and moderate intensity interval aerobic training, and resistance exercise for the large lower and upper body muscles.
Exercise sessions lasted for an hour. An exercise professional or a physiotherapist also supervised the regimen.
Professor May explains that during the first six months of trial, the participants had two sessions in a week. In the remaining three months of trial, one of the supervised sessions was changed to an unsupervised one.
To assess pain levels, fatigue levels, and emotional states, the scientists also administered questionnaires to the study participants.
When the study ended, those who belonged to the exercised group exhibited better quality of life compared to the control group. The results of the questionnaire also showed that those belonging to the exercise group reportedly had lower fatigue levels when they were questioned at three different marks (3-month, 6-month, 9-month).
The exercise group participants also had reduced shortness of breath compared to the other group starting at 6 months. For those with metastatic breast cancer, shortness of breath is a prevalent side effect.
Aside from exhibiting physical improvements, the exercise group was also observed to have social functioning improvements.
With this, Professor May explains that she recommends this intervention to metastatic breast cancer patients who have a performance score of 2 or below and who have stable bone metastases. She also notes that it is important for patients to consult their healthcare provider first and to work with an experienced exercise trainer.
The findings have not yet been included in a peer-reviewed journal. Professor May will be presenting the results during the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.
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