title: Randomised controlled trial of a home-based physical activity intervention in breast cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To improve adherence to physical activity (PA), behavioural support in the form of behavioural change counselling may be necessary. However, limited evidence of the effectiveness of home-based PA combined with counselling in breast cancer patients exists. The aim of this current randomised controlled trial with a parallel group design was to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based PA intervention on PA levels, anthropometric measures, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and blood biomarkers in breast cancer survivors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty post-adjuvant therapy invasive breast cancer patients (age = 53.6 ± 9.4 years; height = 161.2 ± 6.8 cm; mass = 68.7 ± 10.5 kg) were randomly allocated to a 6-month home-based PA intervention or usual care. The intervention group received face-to-face and telephone PA counselling aimed at encouraging the achievement of current recommended PA guidelines. All patients were evaluated for our primary outcome, PA (International PA Questionnaire) and secondary outcomes, mass, BMI, body fat %, HRQoL (Functional assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast), insulin resistance, triglycerides (TG) and total (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) cholesterol were assessed at baseline and at 6-months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On the basis of linear mixed-model analyses adjusted for baseline values performed on 40 patients in each group, total, leisure and vigorous PA significantly increased from baseline to post-intervention in the intervention compared to usual care (between-group differences, 578.5 MET-min∙wk(-1), p = .024, 382.2 MET-min∙wk(-1), p = .010, and 264.1 MET-min∙wk(-1), p = .007, respectively). Both body mass and BMI decreased significantly in the intervention compared to usual care (between-group differences, -1.6 kg, p = .040, and -.6 kg/m(2), p = .020, respectively). Of the HRQoL variables, FACT-Breast, Trial Outcome Index, functional wellbeing, and breast cancer subscale improved significantly in the PA group compared to the usual care group (between-group differences, 5.1, p = .024; 5.6, p = .001; 1.9 p = .025; and 2.8, p = .007, respectively). Finally, TC and LDL-C was significantly reduced in the PA group compared to the usual care group (between-group differences, -.38 mmol∙L(-1), p = .001; and -.3 mmol∙L(-1), p = .023, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that home-based PA resulted in significant albeit small to moderate improvements in self-reported PA, mass, BMI, breast cancer specific HRQoL, and TC and LDL-C compared with usual care. CLINICALTRIALS.
  NCT02408107 (March 25, 2015).
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus, Gorway Road, Walsall, WS1 3BD, UK. i.lahart@wlv.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lahart
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus, Gorway Road, Walsall, WS1 3BD, UK.
authors.forename: George S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Metsios
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus, Gorway Road, Walsall, WS1 3BD, UK.
authors.forename: Alan M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nevill
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing, University of Wolverhampton, Walsall Campus, Gorway Road, Walsall, WS1 3BD, UK.|Department of Research and Development, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, DY1 2HQ, West Midlands, UK.
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Kitas
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, DY1 2HQ, UK.
authors.forename: Amtul R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Carmichael
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D017741:Survivors
keywords: Breast neoplasms; Physical activity; Randomised controlled trial