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Enhancing an oncologist's recommendation to exercise to manage fatigue levels in breast cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial
Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
Short Title: Support.Care Cancer
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: Nov 30, 2017
Pages: 905 - 912
Sources ID: 39986
Notes: LR: 20180710; ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03120819; GR: P30 CA069533/National Cancer Institute; JID: 9302957; OTO: NOTNLM; 2017/05/12 00:00 [received]; 2017/09/25 00:00 [accepted]; 2017/10/02 06:00 [pubmed]; 2017/10/02 06:00 [medline]; 2017/10/02 06:00 [entrez]; ppublish
Visibility: Public (group default)
Abstract: (Show)
PURPOSE: Fatigue is a troublesome symptom for breast cancer patients, which might be mitigated with exercise. Cancer patients often prefer their oncologist recommend an exercise program, yet a recommendation alone may not be enough to change behavior. Our study determined whether adding an exercise DVD to an oncologist's recommendation to exercise led to better outcomes than a recommendation alone. METHODS: Ninety breast cancer patients, at varying phases of treatment and stages of disease, were randomized to receive the following: an oncologist verbal recommendation to exercise (REC; n = 43) or REC plus a cancer-specific yoga DVD (REC + DVD; n = 47). Fatigue, vigor, and depression subscales of the Profile of Mood States, and physical activity levels (MET-min/week), exercise readiness, and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline, 4, and 8 weeks. Analyses controlled for age, time since diagnosis, and metastatic disease. RESULTS: Over 8 weeks, women in REC + DVD used the DVD an average of twice per week. The REC + DVD group had greater reductions in fatigue (- 1.9 +/- 5.0 vs. - 1.0 +/- 3.5, p = 0.02), maintained exercise readiness (- 0.1 +/- 1.1 vs. - 0.3 +/- 1.3; p = 0.03), and reported less of a decrease in physical activity (- 420 +/- 3075 vs. - 427 +/- 5060 MET-min/week, p = 0.06) compared to REC only. CONCLUSIONS: A low-cost, easily distributed, and scalable yoga-based DVD could be a simple booster to an oncologist's advice that motivates breast cancer patients, even those with advanced disease and/or in treatment, to engage in self-care, e.g., exercise, to manage fatigue. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03120819.