A trial looking at exercise therapy for women who have had treatment for breast cancer

Cancer type:

Breast cancer

Status:

Results

Phase:

Other

This trial looked into exercise for women who have had treatment for breast cancer. This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.

The researchers running this trial wanted to find out if exercise could help improve quality of life and wellbeing for this group of women.

The researchers measured quality of life and fitness of women who had finished treatment for breast cancer between 1 year and 3 years ago.

The aim of the trial was to see if following an exercise programme after treatment for breast cancer has any benefits.

Summary of results

The researchers found that aerobic exercise had a short term benefit on quality of life in women treated for breast cancer.

108 women who had finished treatment for breast cancer took part. The women were put into 1 of 3 groups

  • About one third followed an exercise programme to increase heart rate (aerobic exercise) with an exercise therapist and had exercise counselling. This included support, goal setting and helped the women to think about exercise in a positive way
  • About one third followed a ‘body conditioning’ programme with an exercise therapist to increase flexibility, balance and posture. They did not have exercise counselling
  • About one third joined the ‘usual care group’ and continued with their lives as usual – doctors call this the ‘control group Open a glossary item

The women filled in quality of life questionnaires 8 weeks after they joined the trial. When the researchers looked at the completed questionnaires, they found the women in the aerobic exercise group reported a better quality of life than the women in the body conditioning group and usual care group.

We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Dr Amanda Daley

Supported by

Cancer Research UK

Other information

This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/02/040.

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

Oracle 493

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Caroline took part in a clinical trial for breast cancer

“I had treatment last year and I want to give something back.”

Last reviewed:

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