Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of physical activity on common side effects of breast cancer treatment

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Breast Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Motivating women with breast cancer to engage in regular physical activity may be an enormous challenge given the common side effects of breast cancer treatment. The objective of this narrative review is to briefly summarize recent research evidence examining the influence of physical activity on commonly occurring side effects of breast cancer treatment. Overall, current research evidence indicates that regular participation in physical activity after breast cancer diagnosis may mitigate common side effects of breast cancer adjuvant therapy, including fatigue, depression, impaired quality of life, decreased muscular strength, decreased aerobic capacity, and weight gain. Future research could examine the influence that physical activity has on the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment. Implications for health care professionals are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. US Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2006 incidence and mortality web-based report. Atlanta: Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2010. http://cdc.gov/uscs.

  2. Friedenreich CM, Cust AE. Physical activity and breast cancer risk: impact of timing, type and dose of activity and population subgroup effects. Br J Sports Med. 2008;42:636–47.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ibrahim EM, Al-Homaidh A. Physical activity and survival after breast cancer diagnosis: meta-analysis of published studies. Med Oncol. 2010.

  4. Holmes MD, Chen WY, Feskanich D, Kroenke CH, Colditz GA. Physical activity and survival after breast cancer diagnosis. JAMA. 2005;293:2479–86.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Friedenreich CM, Gregory J, Kopciuk KA, Mackey JR, Courneya KS. Prospective cohort study of lifetime physical activity and breast cancer survival. Int J Cancer. 2009;124:1954–62.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pierce JP, Stefanick ML, Flatt SW, Natarajan L, Sternfeld B, Madlensky L, et al. Greater survival after breast cancer in physically active women with high vegetable-fruit intake regardless of obesity. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:2345–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Holick CN, Newcomb PA, Trentham-Dietz A, Titus-Ernstoff L, Bersch AJ, Stampfer MJ, et al. Physical activity and survival after diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008;17:379–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Jacobsen PB, Hann DM, Azzarello LM, Horton J, Balducci L, Lyman GH. Fatigue in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: characteristics, course, and correlates. J Pain Symptom Manag. 1999;18:233–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Servaes P, Verhagen S, Bleijenberg G. Determinants of chronic fatigue in disease-free breast cancer patients: a cross-sectional study. Ann Oncol. 2002;13:589–98.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Palesh OG, Collie K, Batiuchok D, Tilston J, Koopman C, Perlis ML, et al. A longitudinal study of depression, pain, and stress as predictors of sleep disturbance among women with metastatic breast cancer. Biol Psychol. 2007;75:37–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Ott CD, Twiss JJ, Waltman NL, Gross GJ, Lindsey AM. Challenges of recruitment of breast cancer survivors to a randomized clinical trial for osteoporosis prevention. Cancer Nurs. 2006;29:21–31, quiz 32–3.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Satariano WA, Ragland DR. Upper-body strength and breast cancer: a comparison of the effects of age and disease. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1996;51:M215–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. MacVicar MG, Winningham ML, Nickel JL. Effects of aerobic interval training on cancer patients’ functional capacity. Nurs Res. 1989;38:348–51.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Denmark-Wahnefried W, Peterson BL, Winer EP. Changes in weight, body composition, and factors influencing energy balance among premenopausal breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2001;19:2381–9.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Camoriano JK, Loprinzi CL, Ingle JN, Therneau TM, Krook JE, Veeder MH. Weight change in women treated with adjuvant therapy or observed following mastectomy for node-positive breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 1990;8:1327–34.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Montazeri A, Vahdaninia M, Harirchi I, Ebrahimi M, Khaleghi F, Jarvandi S. Quality of life in patients with breast cancer before and after diagnosis: an eighteen months follow-up study. BMC Cancer. 2008;8:330.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Bicego D, Brown K, Ruddick M, Storey D, Wong C, Harris SR. Effects of exercise on quality of life in women living with breast cancer: a systematic review. Breast J. 2009;15:45–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Velthuis MJ, Agasi-Idenburg SC, Aufdemkampe G, Wittink HM. The effect of physical exercise on cancer-related fatigue during cancer treatment: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol). 2010;22:208–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Duijts SF, Faber MM, Oldenburg HS, van Beurden M, Aaronson NK. Effectiveness of behavioral techniques and physical exercise on psychosocial functioning and health-related quality of life in breast cancer patients and survivors—a meta-analysis. Psychooncology. 2011;20(2):115–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Engel J, Kerr J, Schlesinger-Raab A, Sauer H, Holzel D. Quality of life following breast-conserving therapy or mastectomy: results of a 5-year prospective study. Breast J. 2004;10:223–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Cheema B, Gaul CA, Lane K, Fiatarone Singh MA. Progressive resistance training in breast cancer: a systematic review of clinical trials. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008;109:9–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. De Backer IC, Schep G, Backx FJ, Vreugdenhil G, Kuipers H. Resistance training in cancer survivors: a systematic review. Int J Sports Med. 2009;30:703–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Winters-Stone KM, Schwartz A, Nail LM. A review of exercise interventions to improve bone health in adult cancer survivors. J Cancer Surviv. 2010;4(3):187–201.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Kim CJ, Kang DH, Park JW. A meta-analysis of aerobic exercise interventions for women with breast cancer. West J Nurs Res. 2009;31:437–61.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Courneya KS, Mackey JR, Bell GJ, Jones LW, Field CJ, Fairey AS. Randomized controlled trial of exercise training in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors: cardiopulmonary and quality of life outcomes. J Clin Oncol. 2003;21:1660–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Schmitz KH, Ahmed RL, Hannan PJ, Yee D. Safety and efficacy of weight training in recent breast cancer survivors to alter body composition, insulin, and insulin-like growth factor axis proteins. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005;14:1672–80.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Ahmed RL, Thomas W, Yee D, Schmitz KH. Randomized controlled trial of weight training and lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol. 2006;24:2765–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hayes SC, Reul-Hirche H, Turner J. Exercise and secondary lymphedema: safety, potential benefits, and research issues. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41:483–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Schmitz KH, Ahmed RL, Troxel A, Cheville A, Smith R, Lewis-Grant L, et al. Weight lifting in women with breast-cancer-related lymphedema. N Engl J Med. 2009;361:664–73.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Fairey AS, Courneya KS, Field CJ, Mackey JR. Physical exercise and immune system function in cancer survivors: a comprehensive review and future directions. Cancer. 2002;94:539–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Courneya KS, Segal RJ, Mackey JR, Gelmon K, Reid RD, Friedenreich CM, et al. Effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol. 2007;25:4396–404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Grimmett C, Bridgewater J, Steptoe A, Wardle J. Lifestyle and quality of life in colorectal cancer survivors. Qual Life Res. 2011.

  33. Alfano CM, Day JM, Katz ML, Herndon JE 2nd, Bittoni MA, Oliveri JM, et al. Exercise and dietary change after diagnosis and cancer-related symptoms in long-term survivors of breast cancer: CALGB 79804. Psychooncology. 2009;18:128–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Blanchard C, Stein KD, Baker F, Dent MF, Denniston MM, Courneya KS. Association between current lifestyle behaviors and health-related quality of life in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer survivors. Psychol Health. 2004;19:1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Blanchard CM, Courneya KS, Stein K. Cancer survivors’ adherence to lifestyle behavior recommendations and associations with health-related quality of life: results from the American Cancer Society’s SCS-II. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26:2198–204.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Irwin ML, George SM, Matthews CE. Physical activity and breast cancer: prevention, survival, and mechanisms. Res Dig. 2010;11:1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Pinto BM, Goldstein MG, Marcus BH. Activity counseling by primary care physicians. Prev Med. 1998;27:506–13.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Miller WR, Rollnick S. Motivational interviewing: preparing people for change. 2nd ed. New York: Guilford; 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Cardinal BJ, Levy SS, John DH, Cardinal MK. Counseling patients for physical activity. Am J Med Sport. 2002;4:364–71.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Miller WR. Motivational interviewing in service to health promotion. The Art of health Promotion; 2004.

  41. Bennett JA, Lyons KS, Winters-Stone K, Nail LM, Scherer J. Motivational interviewing to increase physical activity in long-term cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial. Nurs Res. 2007;56:18–27.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Exercise Science, Bellarmine University, Louisville, 40205, KY, USA

    Paul D. Loprinzi

  2. Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

    Bradley J. Cardinal

Authors
  1. Paul D. Loprinzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bradley J. Cardinal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul D. Loprinzi.

About this article

Cite this article

Loprinzi, P.D., Cardinal, B.J. Effects of physical activity on common side effects of breast cancer treatment. Breast Cancer 19, 4–10 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-011-0292-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-011-0292-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation