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Purpose We sought to quantify the proportion of uterine cancer survivors who self-report poor physical function. We then sought to quantify the association of poor physical function with physical activity (PA), walking, and lower limb lymphedema (LLL), among women with a history of uterine cancer. Methods Physical function was quantified using the SF-12 questionnaire. PA, walking, and LLL were measured using self-report questionnaire. PA was calculated using metabolic equivalent hours per week (MET-hrs·wk−1), and walking was calculated using blocks per day (blocks·d−1). Logistic regression estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results Among the 213 uterine cancer survivors in our survey (43% response rate), 35% self-reported poor physical function. Compared to participants who reported <3.0 MET-hrs·wk−1 of PA, participants who reported ≥18.0 MET-hrs·wk−1 of PA were less likely to have poor physical function (OR: 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01–0.10; Ptrend<0.0001). Compared to participants who reported <4.0 blocks·d−1 of walking, participants who reported ≥12.0 blocks·d−1 of walking were less likely to have poor physical function (OR: 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.19; Ptrend<0.0001). Compared to participants who did not have LLL, participants with LLL were more likely to have poor physical function (OR: 5.25, 95% CI: 2.41–11.41; P<0.0001). Conclusion Higher levels of PA and walking associate with a lower likelihood of reporting poor physical function. The presence of LLL associates with a higher likelihood of reporting poor physical function. These findings are hypothesis-generating, and should be evaluated in future prospective studies.

Purpose Physical activity (PA) is known to provide physical and mental health benefits to uterine cancer survivors. However, it is unknown if PA associates with lower limb lymphedema (LLL), an accumulation of protein-rich fluid in the lower limbs. Therefore, we sought to examine the association between PA and LLL in uterine cancer survivors, with a focus on walking. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using mailed surveys among uterine cancer survivors who received care at a university-based cancer center. We asked about PA, walking, and LLL symptoms using validated self-report questionnaires. PA was calculated using metabolic equivalent hours per week (MET-hrs∙wk−1), and walking was calculated using blocks per day (blocks∙d−1). Results The response rate to our survey was 43%. Among the 213 uterine cancer survivors in our survey, 36% were classified as having LLL. Compared with participants who reported <3 MET-hrs∙wk−1 of PA, participants who reported ≥18.0 MET-hrs∙wk−1 of PA had an odds ratio of LLL of 0.32 (95% CI: 0.15–0.69; Ptrend = .003). Stratified analyses suggested the association of PA and LLL existed only among women with a body mass index (BMI) <30 kg/m2 (Ptrend = .007), compared to women with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (Ptrend = .47). Compared with participants who reported <4.0 blocks∙d−1 of walking, participants who reported ≥12 blocks∙d−1 of walking had an odds ratio of LLL of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.09–0.43; Ptrend < .0001). Stratified analyses suggested the association of walking and LLL was similar among women with a BMI <30 kg/m2 (Ptrend = .007) and women with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (Ptrend = .03). Conclusion Participation in higher levels of PA or walking is associated with reduced proportions of LLL in dose-response fashion. These findings should be interpreted as preliminary, and investigated in future studies.

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