Exploring the feasibility of exercise training during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in women with early-stage breast cancer: a pilot study examining immune and metabolic outcomes.

PURPOSE: To examine the feasibility and exploratory immunological, metabolic, and patient-reported effects of a supervised exercise intervention during (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy in women with early-stage breast cancer. METHODS: This non-randomised pilot study examined a 12-week supervised combined aerobic and resistance exercise programme during (neo)adjuvant treatment. Participants self-selected into the exercise intervention, and as no eligible participants opted for the control group, …

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A multidisciplinary intervention to support return to work of individuals with breast cancer: a prospective feasibility study.

PURPOSE: Work participation is one of the aims of cancer rehabilitation for individuals with breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to verify the feasibility of a multidisciplinary intervention addressing the work-related difficulties of working-age individuals with BC. METHODS: In this prospective feasibility study, employed individuals with BC who reported work-related difficulties were eligible. Participants were assessed at baseline (T0), 1 …

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Identification of high-impact chronic pain among cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale framework.

PURPOSE: Chronic cancer-related pain is a prevalent and often under-recognized issue among individuals living with or after cancer. Clinically useful tools are needed to classify pain severity and impact and to identify those requiring targeted support. This study applied the Graded Chronic Pain Scale-Revised (GCPS-R) in a cohort of cancer survivors and examined differences in pain characteristics and psychosocial factors …

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Psychological Readiness for Surgery Through Prehabilitation and Treatment: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Psychological prehabilitation aims to prepare patients for cancer treatment, yet psychological readiness is under-specified and distress during and after treatment is common. A patient-informed account of readiness is needed to guide readiness-focused, proactive psychological support in cancer care. AIMS: To examine patients’ experiences of psychological readiness for cancer surgery across the prehabilitation-treatment pathway. METHODS: We used a longitudinal qualitative …

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Long-term prospective assessment of quality of life and physical function in malignant lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy.

This study aims to evaluate longitudinal changes in health state utility values, health-related quality of life, physical function, nutritional status, and fatigue in patients with malignant lymphoma from the start of chemotherapy to 1 year post-chemotherapy and clarify the implications for survivorship care planning. This prospective observational study included 21 patients hospitalized for chemotherapy who also received exercise therapy. Assessments …

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Graded Exercise Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Fatigue in Patients With Breast Cancer: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common debilitating symptom of breast cancer (BC), and its treatment may result in a significant symptom burden and affect adherence to treatment. Graded exercise therapy (GET) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have separately been shown in previous studies to be beneficial for the management of cancer-related fatigue. OBJECTIVE: This study’s coprimary aims are to assess the …

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Effects of exercise therapy on chemotherapy delivery and response in primary breast cancer: A secondary analysis of a randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Whether structured exercise therapy improves chemotherapy delivery, tolerability, and tumor response is unclear. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a phase 2 trial investigating exercise therapy (n = 72) versus usual care (n = 72) in patients with primary breast cancer. Exercise therapy comprised individualized treadmill walking three times weekly for 20-50 minutes per session at 55%-100% of pretreatment exercise capacity. Chemotherapy …

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Combined aerobic and strength exercise training on biological ageing in Singaporean breast cancer patients: protocol for the Breast Cancer Exercise Intervention (BREXINT) Pilot Study.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prominent cancer amongst women, but fortunately, early diagnosis and advances in multimodality treatments have improved patient survivability. Cancer survivors, however, experience increased biological ageing which may accelerate other co-morbidities. Exercise intervention is a promising clinical adjuvant approach to improve BC patients’ physiological function, recovery from treatment, and quality of life. However, the effects of …

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Randomized trial of exercise on cancer-related blood biomarkers and survival in women with ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: In randomized trials in women with breast cancer, exercise has been shown to have beneficial effects on cancer-related circulating biomarkers that may impact survival. Such studies are lacking for ovarian cancer. METHODS: This secondary analysis of a published randomized controlled trial examined the impact of a 6-month exercise intervention versus attention-control on change in prespecified circulating biomarkers (cancer antigen …

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Criterion Validity of a Consumer Wearable for Step Counting and Activity Intensity Classification in Adults With Lung Cancer: Laboratory-Based Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Consumer wearable activity monitors are increasingly being used as end points in exercise-oncology trials and in clinical decision-making, yet their accuracy is unvalidated in lung cancer, where slow, fragmented gait may challenge step-counting algorithms. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the criterion validity of the Fitbit Charge 6 device against video-recorded direct observation in adults with lung cancer under controlled laboratory …

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