Abstract
Changes in metabolism have been reported in the majority of patients undergoing cancer treatment, and these are usually characterized by progressive change in body composition. The effects of aerobic exercise programs to combat the cancer and cancer treatment-related side effects, which include the negative changes in body composition, have been extensively reported in the literature. However, few resistance exercise intervention studies have hypothesized that breast cancer patients might benefit from this type of exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine whether exercise protocols that emphasize resistance training would change body composition and strength in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment. Randomized controlled trial, at the Campus Recreation Center and Rocky Mountain Cancer Rehabilitation Institute of the University of Northern Colorado, and the North Colorado Medical Center. Twenty inactive breast cancer patients were randomly assigned to a 21-week exercise group (n = 10) or a control group (n = 10). The exercise group trained at low to moderate intensity for 60 minutes on two days/week. The primary outcome measurements included body composition (skinfold method) and muscle strength (one repetition maximum). Significant differences in lean body mass, body fat and strength (p = 0.004, p = 0.004, p = 0.025, respectively) were observed between the groups at the end of the study. The results suggest that exercise emphasizing resistance training promotes positive changes in body composition and strength in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment.
Highlights
Over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, with roughly 40,000 of these cases resulting in the death of the patient.[1]
The results suggest that exercise emphasizing resistance training promotes positive changes in body composition and strength in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 212,000 new cases of breast cancer were expected to be found among women in the United States during 2005.1 This is an alarming statistic, but the actual death rate among women with breast cancer has decreased over recent years because of early detection and more advanced treatment options.[1]
Summary
Over 200,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, with roughly 40,000 of these cases resulting in the death of the patient.[1]. Depending on the type and extent of the treatment needed, the symptoms can vary from acute to chronic These side effects can include surgical complications, wound infection, loss of functional capacities, decreased range of motion, muscle weakness, osteoporosis, hot flushes, decreased immune system function, diarrhea, dyspnea, pain, numbness, nausea, overall fatigue, dry mouth, lung fibrosis, cardiomyopathies, vomiting, anorexia, hair loss, emotional/psychological disturbances and changes in metabolism. These can contribute towards marked changes in body composition.[2]
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