A 12-week Home-based Physical Activity Intervention in Early Stage Breast CancerSurvivors

Abstract

1989 PURPOSE. To evaluate the feasibility of a home-based walking intervention among early-stage breast cancer (BC) survivors and to describe the influence of the intervention on physical activity (PA), body composition, fatigue, and quality of life (QOL) outcomes. METHODS. In this ongoing randomized 12-week pilot study, participants were randomized to a home-based walking intervention adapted from the Stanford model (n = 17), or a wait-list control group (n = 9). Intervention participants received a 30 minute in-person counseling visit and up to five telephone-counseling calls (mean = 4.1 calls, 15 min/call) that focused on goal setting, reinforcement, social support, problem solving, safety, and self monitoring. Outcome measures were selfreported PA (CHAMPS), body composition, and the SF-36. In a study sub-sample (n = 13), fatigue (FACT-F) and objective measures of PA (MTI Actigraph) were obtained. Repeated measures models were used to estimate treatment effects over time. RESULTS. To date, 24 of 26 (92%) women have been retained in the study (age 55 ± 12 years; BMI 29.3 ± 4.6, time since diagnosis 0.80 ± 0.18 yrs). Self-reported walking increased from baseline to 6- and 12-weeks in the intervention (4.5, 13.5, 16.9 MET-hrs/wk, p < 0.01 vs. baseline) but not control participants (4.5, 4.6, 6.6 METhrs/wk, p = 0.65 vs. baseline); group × time p = 0.16. Objectively measured walking increased from baseline to 6- and 12-weeks in the intervention (7.4, 11.1, 25.6 min/d, p < 0.01) but not control participants (8.1, 12.0, 15.5 min/d, p = 0.18). Increased walking resulted in greater total PA on both measures. In these preliminary analyses, fatigue decreased from baseline to 12-weeks in the intervention (10.3 to 8.1, p < 0.01) but not control participants (10.5 to 10.6, p = 0.89). No body composition or QOL changes were observed. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION. Home-based walking programs are feasible for early-stage BC survivors and they can facilitate increased walking that increases overall PA levels. They may also reduce fatigue. Such programs have the potential to assist women in combating the adverse emotional and physical outcomes associated with BC treatment. Funding: South Carolina Cancer Center; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center