The effects of a home-based physical activity intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness in breast cancer survivors; a randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT

The aim of this current randomised controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a home-based physical activity (PA) intervention on cardiorespiratory fitness in breast cancer survivors. Thirty-two post-adjuvant therapy breast cancer survivors (age = 52 ± 10 years; BMI = 27.2 ± 4.4 kg∙m²) were randomised to a six-month home-based PA intervention with face-to-face and telephone PA counselling or usual care. Cardiorespiratory fitness and self-reported PA were assessed at baseline and at six-months. Participants had a mean relative V̇O₂max of 25.3 ± 4.7 ml∙kg⁻¹∙min⁻¹, which is categorised as “poor” according to age and gender matched normative values. Magnitude-based inference analyses revealed likely at least small beneficial effects (effect sizes ≥.20) on absolute and relative V̇O₂ max (d = .44 and .40, respectively), and total and moderate PA (d = .73 and .59, respectively) in the intervention compared to the usual care group. We found no likely beneficial improvements in any other outcome. Our home-based PA intervention led to likely beneficial, albeit modest, increases in cardiorespiratory fitness and self-reported PA in breast cancer survivors. This intervention has the potential for widespread implementation and adoption, which could considerably impact on post-treatment recovery in this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Maximal oxygen uptake
• physical activity
• intervention
• breast cancer

Acknowledgments

We would like to express gratitude to Dr Sarah Bowden and her team at the Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit for their support in randomisation, Russells Hall Hospital Breast Care Nurses for helping with recruitment, Russells Hall Hospital phlebotomy department and biochemistry laboratory for assistance with blood collection and analysis, and above all, each of the patients who contributed with their time and feedback to make this study possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.