title: Cancer-specific concerns and physical activity among recently diagnosed breast and prostate cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer treatment -related side effects may have a negative impact on quality of life among cancer survivors and may limit participation in physical activity (PA).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Cancer-specific concerns will be reduced throughout a 10-month diet and exercise intervention among recently diagnosed cancer survivors. Additionally, participants reporting greater levels of PA will also report fewer cancer-specific concerns.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is an exploratory analysis of 452 recently diagnosed, early-stage breast and prostate cancer survivors who participated in the FRESH START diet and exercise trial. Data were collected at baseline and 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, chief concerns among prostate cancer survivors included ability to have an erection (mean score [standard deviation] = 1.0 [1.3]) and urinary frequency (2.5 [1.4]), whereas among breast cancer survivors, eminent concerns were not feeling sexually attractive (2.0 [1.3]) and worry about cancer in other members of their family (2.1 [1.3]). At 1 year, there was a significant improvement in cancer-specific concerns on breast cancer-specific concerns (P < .01) but not on prostate cancer-specific concerns. At baseline, women who were self-conscious about their dress had higher levels of PA, whereas men reporting issues with incontinence reported lesser increases in PA in response to the intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer-specific concerns diminish over time, especially among breast cancer survivors. Among prostate cancer survivors, incontinence is a significant barrier that hinders benefit from PA interventions. Thus, there is a need either for medical interventions to ameliorate incontinence or for behavioral interventions to address this issue among survivors.
authors.affiliation: Texas Prevention Institute - University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA. Allison.ottenbacher@unthsc.edu
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ottenbacher
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sloane
authors.forename: Denise C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sprod
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Demark-Wahnefried
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D004032:Diet / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*