Purpose: To determine the effects of a community-based program of exercise on quality of life (QOL) of persons with cancer over time.

No abstract

This article describes the development and refinement of a not-for-profit, community-based exercise program, the Cancer Foundation For Life (CFFL), designed to improve quality of life (QOL) for persons with cancer, regardless of type or stage of disease. Beginning in 2001, policies and procedures were developed, and personnel were hired and trained. Program evaluation measured safety, exercise adherence, demographic variables, and QOL. CFFL had nearly 3,000 referrals and handled more than 66,000 patient encounters in 2010. Financial and social resources for the program have been established through collaboration with existing institutions (churches, cancer centers, hospitals, and community centers), in conjunction with community support. American College of Sports Medicine guidelines presented at the ASCO 2010 meeting recommend exercise for persons with cancer. The CFFL program provides a costeffective and safe exercise program for persons with all types and stages of cancer that meets these recommended guidelines.

In recent years, there has been a burgeoning amount of evidence-based scientific data demonstrating the benefit of exercise during and following cancer treatment. This compelling evidence has resulted in major stakeholders in cancer management, including the American College of Sports Medicine, American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, American Cancer Society, Oncology Nursing Society, and the Commission on Cancer, advocating exercise as an integral component of cancer care. Despite the acknowledgment of exercise as an essential component, it remains virtually absent in routine cancer treatment. This article discusses the role of exercise in cancer treatment utilizing a community-based program. The rationale presented is that a scalable and replicable standard of care model is a plausible avenue to assimilate exercise into routine oncology practice.