Effects of structered and individualized exercise in patients with metastatic breast cancer on fatigue and quality of life

Projekt-Details

Forschungsziel

There is ample evidence supporting the positive impact of exercise on adverse effects of adjuvant cancer treatment. In the curative setting, exercise has shown positive results in patients undergoing breast cancer treatment in terms of reducing fatigue, but also in improving psychological symptoms, such as depression and low self-esteem. For metastatic breast cancer, the guidelines state that there is limited evidence on the potential effects of exercise and their recommendations are based on studies performed in the curative setting. Given the lack of alternatives for improving fatigue and the pressing unmet need to improve the quality of life of advanced cancer patients, exercise represents a promising and desirable intervention. Currently, the effect of exercise on metastatic breast cancer has not been extensively studied, even though the benefits are evident in the curative setting. We hypothesize that a structured and individualised exercise program will diminish levels of physical fatigue and/or the overall HRQoL-related symptom burden in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Forschungsmethodik

The EFFECT study is a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The intervention group will participate in a 9-month exercise intervention. The exercise program will start with a 6-month period, where patients participate in a supervised multimodal exercise program twice a week supplemented with unsupervised exercises. The multimodal exercise program comprises aerobic-, resistance- and balance components. After completing the initial six-month period, one supervised session will be replaced by one unsupervised session until month nine. Unsupervised exercises will be supported by an activity tracker (FitBit) and an exercise App specifically designed for the EFFECT trial. Patients randomized to the control group will also receive an activity tracker (like the intervention group). We will advice control patients to avoid inactivity and be as physically active as current abilities and conditions allow, with the aim to progress towards being physically active for 150min/week in line with the current exercise guidelines.
KurztitelEFFECt
StatusAbgeschlossen
Tatsächlicher Beginn/ -es Ende01.01.1901.01.24

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