Fitness Friday

Exercise Can Help Subdue Breast Cancer
Side-Effects
Exercising regularly can help reduce the pain and fatigue that accompanies the side-effects of breast cancer treatment.

The side-effects of breast cancer treatment, or any cancer treatment for that matter, can be completely debilitating leaving the patient energy-sapped, in pain and feeling ill. The European School of Oncology knows that hundreds of thousands of women around the worlds diagnosed with breast cancer go through the same side effects, and partnered with Professor Eduardo Oliviera of the University of Porto to research the effects that exercise has on the side-effects of cancer treatment. The professor studied 15 women between the ages of 34 and 68 years old who were all being treated for metastatic breast cancer, and divided them into a group of exercising and non-exercising.

The group that exercised took place in a 12-week exercise program, which included an hour of exercise twice a week. The exercise included in the program included aerobic exercise and strength-training, while the other group completed their normal plan of care with minimal to no structure exercise program. During the 12-weeks, the women in both groups had their VO2MAX tested to better understand the patient's cardiovascular fitness and effect that the exercise had on the side-effects of the patients. Patients who participated in the program had an average increase of 12.3% in VO2MAX while those who did not participate in the exercise program only saw an increase of 2.7%. The women who exercise also reported a 21.4 point reduction in pain, 14.4 point reduction in fatigue, 16.6 point improvement of emotional health, and 14.9 point increase in ability to carry out daily tasks. The other groups saw a respective 2.6 point reduction in pain, 2.2 point reduction of fatigue, 11 point improvement of emotional health, and a .1 point reduction of ability to perform daily tasks. This research is very promising for those suffering from the side-effects of breast cancer, and Professor Oliviera plans on conducting more research to solidify the benefits of exercise and cancer treatment side-effects.