Exercise May Cut
Side Effects of Cancer

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many women with early-stage breast cancer suffer fatigue, nausea, anxiety and a host of debilitating symptoms as a result of their treatment. Yet as physically draining as cancer therapy is, new research suggests that exercise can counter some of its ill effects.

In a study of 123 women with early-stage breast cancer, researchers at the Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre in Canada found that regular, low-intensity exercise improved patients' physical functioning during cancer treatment. Dr. Roanne Segal and her colleagues report their findings in the February issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Past research among breast cancer patients has shown exercise can boost women's physical and psychological health. But exactly what types of exercise are appropriate is unclear, according to Segal's team.

In the current study, they found that women who walked three to five times per week had less pain and more energy during treatment than inactive patients did. Moreover, those who exercised on their own reported better physical functioning than those who exercised in a supervised program.

All women in the study were undergoing what is known as adjuvant therapy--radiation, chemotherapy or hormonal therapy given after tumors have been surgically removed. The investigators found that the patients did a better job of sticking with their 6-month exercise prescription than healthy people typically do. Less than one-quarter stopped exercising, while statistics show half of healthy people who start an exercise plan quit within 6 months.

While there has been no controlled trial of patients with more advanced breast cancer, Segal told Reuters Health, these patients also appear to benefit from an individualized exercise program.

``In our oncology rehabilitation program, we've seen over 600 patients, and about 10% of those have had metastatic breast cancer,'' Segal explained. Metastatic cancer is a more advanced form of the disease in which cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. Patients are individually assessed and a program is delivered to meet their needs, Segal said.

``Again, there were no complications of the exercise program. Not all patients benefited, but about half had positive results,'' she said. Further research on the long-term effects of exercise is needed, Segal's team concludes.

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology 2001;19:657-665.
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