title: Impact of a telephone-based physical activity intervention upon exercise behaviors and fitness in cancer survivors enrolled in a cooperative group setting.
abstract: Observational studies demonstrate an association between physical activity and improved outcomes in breast and colon cancer survivors. To test these observations with a large, randomized clinical trial, an intervention that significantly impacts physical activity in these patients is needed. The Active After Cancer Trial (AACT) was a multicenter pilot study evaluating the feasibility of a telephone-based exercise intervention in a cooperative group setting. Sedentary (engaging in <60 min of recreational activity/week) breast and colorectal cancer survivors were randomized to a telephone-based exercise intervention or usual care control group. The intervention was delivered through the University of California at San Diego; participants received ten phone calls over the course of the 16-week intervention. All participants underwent assessment of physical activity, fitness, physical functioning, fatigue and exercise self-efficacy at baseline and after the 16-week intervention. One hundred and twenty-one patients were enrolled through ten Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB) institutions; 100 patients had breast cancer and 21 had colorectal cancer. Participants randomized to the exercise group increased physical activity by more than 100 versus 22% in controls (54.5 vs. 14.6 min, P = 0.13), and experienced significant increases in fitness (increased 6-min walk test distance by 186.9 vs. 81.9 feet, P = 0.006) and physical functioning (7.1 vs. 2.6, P = 0.04) as compared to the control group. Breast and colorectal cancer survivors enrolled in a multicenter, telephone-based physical activity intervention increased physical activity and experienced significant improvements in fitness and physical functioning. Lifestyle intervention research is feasible in a cooperative group setting.
authors: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 450 Brookline Ave Boston, Boston, MA 02215, USA. jligibel@partners.org
authors: Jennifer A
authors: JA
authors: Ligibel
authors: Jeffrey
authors: J
authors: Meyerhardt
authors: John P
authors: JP
authors: Pierce
authors: Julie
authors: J
authors: Najita
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Shockro
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Campbell
authors: Vicky A
authors: VA
authors: Newman
authors: Leslie
authors: L
authors: Barbier
authors: Eileen
authors: E
authors: Hacker
authors: Marie
authors: M
authors: Wood
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Marshall
authors: Electra
authors: E
authors: Paskett
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome