Paper

Exercise manages fatigue during breast cancer treatment: A randomized controlled trial

  1. Victoria Mock1,2,3,*,
  2. Constantine Frangakis4,
  3. Nancy E. Davidson1,3,
  4. Mary E. Ropka5,
  5. Mary Pickett6,
  6. Barbara Poniatowski7,
  7. Kerry J. Stewart3,
  8. Lane Cameron2,
  9. Kristin Zawacki2,
  10. Laura J. Podewils4,
  11. Gary Cohen7,
  12. Ruth McCorkle8

Article first published online: 14 OCT 2004

DOI: 10.1002/pon.863

Issue

Psycho‐Oncology

Psycho-Oncology

Volume 14, Issue 6, pages 464–477, June 2005

Additional Information

How to Cite

Mock, V., Frangakis, C., Davidson, N. E., Ropka, M. E., Pickett, M., Poniatowski, B., Stewart, K. J., Cameron, L., Zawacki, K., Podewils, L. J., Cohen, G. and McCorkle, R. (2005), Exercise manages fatigue during breast cancer treatment: A randomized controlled trial. Psycho-Oncology, 14: 464–477. doi: 10.1002/pon.863

Author Information

  1. 1

    Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Hospital, USA

  2. 2

    School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, USA

  3. 3

    School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, USA

  4. 4

    School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

  5. 5

    School of Medicine & School of Nursing, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA

  6. 6

    School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

  7. 7

    Greater Baltimore Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

  8. 8

    School of Nursing, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

*Center for Nursing Research, Johns Hopkins University, P.O. Box 50250, Baltimore, MD 21211-4250, USA

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 30 MAY 2005
  2. Article first published online: 14 OCT 2004
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 6 AUG 2004
  4. Manuscript Received: 7 JAN 2004

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Abstract

Fatigue is the most prevalent and debilitating symptom experienced by breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy and few evidence-based treatments are available to manage this distressing side-effect. The purpose of this multi-institutional randomized controlled trial was to determine the effects of exercise on fatigue levels during treatment for breast cancer. Sedentary women (N=119) with Stage 0–III breast cancer receiving outpatient adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation therapy were randomized to a home-based moderate-intensity walking exercise program or to usual care for the duration of their cancer treatment. Of participants randomized to exercise, 72% adhered to the exercise prescription; 61% of the usual care group adhered. The intention-to-treat analysis revealed no group differences in part because of a dilution of treatment effect as 39% of the usual care group exercised and 28% of the exercise group did not. When exercise participation was considered using the data analysis method of instrumental variables with principal stratification, a clinically important and statistically significant (p=0.03) effect of exercise on pretest-to-posttest change in fatigue levels was demonstrated. Adherence to a home-based moderate-intensity walking exercise program may effectively mitigate the high levels of fatigue prevalent during cancer treatment. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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