Effects of aerobic and resistance exercise in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy: a multicenter randomized controlled trial.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Multicenter randomized controlled trial
PubMed 17785708 · doi:10.1200/JCO.2006.08.2024
What was done
A multicenter randomized controlled trial in Canada (2003–2005) assigned 242 breast cancer patients initiating adjuvant chemotherapy to usual care (n = 82), supervised resistance exercise (n = 82), or supervised aerobic exercise (n = 78) for the duration of chemotherapy (median 17 weeks; 95% CI, 9 to 24 weeks). The primary end point was cancer-specific quality of life (QOL) measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Anemia scale. Secondary end points included fatigue, psychosocial functioning, physical fitness, body composition, chemotherapy completion rate, and lymphedema.
What was found
The follow-up assessment rate for the primary end point was 92.1%, and adherence to supervised exercise was 70.2%. Aerobic exercise was superior to usual care for self-esteem (P = .015), aerobic fitness (P = .006), and percent body fat (adjusted P = .076). Resistance exercise was superior to usual care for self-esteem (P = .018), muscular strength (P < .001), lean body mass (P = .015), and chemotherapy completion rate (P = .033). Changes in cancer-specific QOL, fatigue, depression, and anxiety favored exercise but were not statistically significant. Exercise did not cause lymphedema or adverse events.
Why it matters
This study shows that structured exercise during adjuvant chemotherapy is safe and effectively preserves physical fitness and body composition while supporting chemotherapy completion. It indicates that different exercise modalities confer distinct physiological benefits during active cancer treatment.
Limits
The trial failed to detect a statistically significant improvement in its primary outcome (cancer-specific QOL). Adherence to supervised sessions was moderate (70.2%), and the abstract lacks absolute numerical changes and confidence intervals for specific outcome measures. Findings are limited to breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy.
Cited by
- supports In a clinical trial by Kerry Courneya's group, the resistance training group completed more chemotherapy than the aerobic exercise or usual care groups, gaining over a kilogram of lean muscle.