title: A pilot study of a supervised group exercise programme as a rehabilitation treatment for women with breast cancer receiving adjuvant treatment.
abstract: This pilot study examined whether exercise as an adjunctive rehabilitation therapy could benefit women who have early stage breast cancer and are currently receiving chemotherapy/radiotherapy. The study was designed as a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Physical functioning, fatigue and Quality of Life (QoL) outcomes were evaluated pre and post a 12-week intervention. The results showed that after 12 weeks the women who participated in the exercise programme (n = 12) displayed significantly higher levels of physical functioning and reported higher QoL scores than the controls (n = 10). Changes in fatigue and satisfaction with life favoured the intervention group but did not reach significance. These results are encouraging and suggest that a structured group exercise programme during adjuvant treatment is a safe, well tolerated and effective way of providing physical and psychological health benefits to women during treatment for early stage breast cancer. Since this was a pilot study the numbers did not allow appropriately powered analyses of some variables of interest and favoured relatively young and socio-economically advantaged women. Future studies need to address these issues and determine if these short-term benefits can be sustained.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Nanette
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mutrie
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Nora
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kearney
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome