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Exercise, Chemotherapy, and Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is a chronic illness within which treatment can last well beyond two years, often involving chemotherapy treatments. These treatments can take a tremendous toll on the patient, with numerous negative side effects. These side effects include chronic fatigue, psychological disruptions, decreased fitness and body composition due to physical inactivity, and mobility problems. Exercise has been shown to diminish these negative effects.

What is the prescribed dose of exercise?

Note: Consult your physician prior to engaging in these activities.

Exercise capacity is limited by individual fatigue, mental readiness for activity, and the stage of chemotherapy treatment. Patients often are more willing to begin exercise post-chemotherapy intervention. Exercise is possible during the treatment phase, but requires special considerations. However, the best time to begin an exercise regimen is as soon as a diagnosis is made, and can be continued throughout treatment.

Aerobic Exercise

What? Jogging, cycling, swimming (for those not recovering from surgery), fitness classes. How Often? Three times per week.

How long? 10-75 minutes, at a moderate intensity (moderate means feeling a little bit winded but are still able to keep up a conversation). Length of time varies, as some people feel extremely ill from chemotherapy.

Resistance Exercise

What? Work on large muscle groups, and using the whole body (squats, lunges, arm curls, bench press etc). Ask a fitness professional for help if needed. How much? 8-15 repetitions x 2.

How does chemotherapy and adjuvant therapy affect body composition?

1.)Weight gain

2.)Decrease in lean body mass (your bones and muscles)

How will a changed body composition influence your health?

Increases in body weight predispose women to weight-related chronic illnesses (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc.) and can increase the risk of cancer reoccurrence or death. Decreases in lean body mass and muscle strength result in a decline in overall physical function.

How can exercise influence your body composition?

Aerobic exercise has been shown to prevent fat gain, while resistance exercise has been shown to increase lean body mass and increase muscular strength. Moreover, maintaining body composition may decrease the risk of reoccurrence and weight-related chronic illness.

What is Fatigue?

Fatigue is the most prevalent and distressing symptom of cancer therapies. Fatigue affects up to 96% of patients receiving chemotherapy treatment. It is a symptom hard to avoid during cancer therapies so one must learn to cope with the symptom accordingly during treatment.

How can you minimize Fatigue during therapy?

The most effective strategy that can help deal with fatigue during cancer therapy is exercise. Aerobic and resistance training exercises performed before; during and after cancer treatment is shown to dramatically decrease the amount of fatigue experienced by the individuals.

What psychological effects can occur with breast cancer treatment?

There are many possible effects that that can be experienced simultaneously, in varying degrees, or is fortunately absent in some patients. They include diminished quality of life, anxiety, anger, confusion and depression.

How can exercise help your psychological state?

Exercise can help reduce or eliminate depressive symptoms in patients and can increase quality of life. A bonus is that an improvement in body composition is linked to improvements in the psychological state of breast cancer patients.