A review of home-based physical activity interventions for breast cancer survivors

Abstract

As breast cancer relative survival continues to increase, many breast cancer patients face many issues, including recurrence of cancer and cancer-related side effects that impact several aspects of their quality of life. With breast cancer patients living longer, there is more of a concern for negative breast cancer outcomes. Although physical activity is an affordable and relatively convenient way to improve breast cancer outcomes, only about one-third of breast cancer survivors engage in the recommended level of physical activity. This article reviews articles published to date to examine whether home-based physical activity interventions are effective in improving physical activity and other outcomes among breast cancer survivors who have completed primary therapy for the disease. The present review is based upon bibliographic searches in PubMed and CINAHL and relevant search terms. Articles published in English from 1980 through February 28, 2019 were identified. A total of 360 article citations were identified in PubMed and non-duplicates in CINAHL. After screening the abstracts or full texts of these articles and reviewing the references of previous review articles, 20 studies that met the eligibility criteria. Three of the studies were pre-/post-test trials and 17 were randomized controlled trials. home-based exercise programs are effective in improving physical activity among breast cancer survivors who have completed primary therapy for the disease. Home-based exercise programs such as walking programs offer a convenient and affordable option for women who wish to increase their physical activity and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Effects of an online home-based exercise intervention on breast cancer survivors during COVID-19 lockdown: a feasibility study

“…In cancer survivors, home-based exercise has been considered as a safe and effective strategy to improve markers of health such as body composition, fatigue, functional capacity and HRQoL [ 12 – 17 ]. Focusing on breast cancer, home-based exercise programs have been developed during the last decades [ 18 ]. In these programs, patients are assessed and followed on a periodic basis, and perform exercise routines with the support of brochures, practical guides, or electronic materials [ 19 ].…”

Maintaining Weight Loss in Obese Men with Prostate Cancer Following a Supervised Exercise and Nutrition Program—A Pilot Study

“…Exercise and nutrition programs are often provided as adjuvant therapies for men with prostate cancer [ 12 ]. While supervised interventions are typically more effective due to face-to-face instruction and personal accountability resulting in high adherence [ 13 ], home-based unsupervised or minimally supervised programs are of interest to some clinicians and patients to reduce costs and allow increased access to people who cannot travel frequently to an exercise venue [ 14 , 15 ]. Two exercise and nutrition-based interventions by Bourke et al [ 16 , 17 ] examined a self-managed period after progressively reducing supervision for men with prostate cancer on ADT compared to usual care controls.…”

Bone loss induced by cancer treatments in breast and prostate cancer patients

“…In women with BC on treatment, the results of programs combining moderate intensity strength and resistance exercises are inconclusive, largely due to the limitations and heterogeneity of the patient sample and poor adherence to exercise programs [59]. Although not all types of exercise are equally osteogenic, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise has beneficial effects on the lumbar spine BMD in women with BC, and it is also important to encourage adherence to training programs [57,[60][61][62].…”