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Physical activity, long-term symptoms, and physical health-related quality of life among breast cancer survivors: A prospective analysis

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Abstract

Introduction

Many breast cancer survivors experience persistent physical symptoms of cancer and treatment that can decrease health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This prospective study investigated physical activity (PA), occurrence of physical symptoms, and HRQOL in a large, ethnically-diverse cohort of breast cancer survivors.

Materials and methods

Survivors (n = 545), on average 6 months post-diagnosis, were assessed in person or by mail at baseline (retrospective reports of pre-diagnosis PA), at 29 months post-diagnosis (post-diagnosis PA), and at 39 months post-diagnosis (pain, hormone symptoms, sexual interest/dysfunction, fatigue, physical subscales of HRQOL). Linear regression and analysis of covariance assessed the relationships between pre- and post-diagnosis PA and PA change after cancer with symptoms and HRQOL.

Results

Greater pre-diagnosis PA was associated with better physical functioning at 39 months (βs 1.1–2.3; all p < 0.01) but was generally unrelated to symptoms. Greater post-diagnosis sports/recreational PA was related to less fatigue and better physical functioning (βs −0.146, 2.21; both p < 0.01). Increased PA after cancer was related to less fatigue and pain and better physical functioning (all p < 0.01). Significant positive associations were found for moderate to vigorous and vigorous sports/recreation PA, not household activity. Results were similar for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White women.

Discussion/conclusions

Increased PA, especially after cancer, was consistently related to better physical functioning and to reduced fatigue and bodily pain, underscoring the need for PA promotion among survivors.

Implications for cancer survivors

Survivors may be able to decrease fatigue and bodily pain and be better able to pursue daily activities through increasing recreational PA after cancer.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Comprehensive Cancer Center and School of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Catherine M. Alfano

  2. Outcomes Research Branch, ARP, DCCPS, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Ashley Wilder Smith & Bryce B. Reeve

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Melinda L. Irwin

  4. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, PO Box 19024, M4-B402, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA

    Deborah J. Bowen, Bess Sorensen, Kathleen E. Malone & Anne McTiernan

  5. Department of Preventive Medicine and USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Kathleen A. Meeske & Leslie Bernstein

  6. Department of Epidemiology & Clinical Information Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA

    Kathy B. Baumgartner

  7. Outcomes Research Branch ARP, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Rachel Ballard-Barbash

Authors
  1. Catherine M. Alfano
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  2. Ashley Wilder Smith
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  4. Deborah J. Bowen
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  9. Kathy B. Baumgartner
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  12. Anne McTiernan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anne McTiernan.

Additional information

This research was supported by contracts from the National Cancer Institute (N01-CN-75036-20, N01-CN-05228, N01-PC-67010). Part of Dr. Alfano’s effort was conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, funded by a training grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA92408). Some material presented in this manuscript was presented at the 2004 meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine.

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Alfano, C.M., Smith, A.W., Irwin, M.L. et al. Physical activity, long-term symptoms, and physical health-related quality of life among breast cancer survivors: A prospective analysis. J Cancer Surviv 1, 116–128 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-007-0014-1

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