Exercise programme improves quality of life for patients with metastatic breast cancer

Patients with metastatic breast cancer who took part in a 9-month structured exercise programme reported less fatigue and an improved quality of life compared with those who did not undergo the exercise programme, according to results from the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial.

Breast cancer and its treatments can cause side effects such as fatigue, nausea, pain, and shortness of breath, which can decrease a patient’s health-related quality of life. Previously, it has been proven that pre-operative exercise and exercise during adjuvant cancer treatment lead to improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, fatigue, and other patient-reported outcomes. Thus, the ASCO guideline advises that oncology providers should recommend regular aerobic and resistance exercise during active treatment with curative intent [1]. “However, at that moment, no evidence was available about the effect of exercise in patients with metastatic cancer,” Prof. Anne May (University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands) explained. To fill this gap in knowledge, the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial (NCT04120298) aimed to investigate the effects of supervised and individualised exercise on fatigue and quality of life of patients with metastatic breast cancer [2].

A total of 357 patients with metastatic breast cancer and a life expectancy of more than 6 months were enrolled in the study. All participants in the trial received a physical activity tracker and generic exercise advice; 178 patients were randomly assigned to twice-weekly supervised exercise sessions, involving balance, resistance, and aerobic exercises, for 9 months. The control group was provided with usual care and a general exercise advise. The primary endpoints were cancer-related physical fatigue and health-related quality of life at 6 months.

At 3, 6, and 9 months, both quality of life and physical fatigue were significantly better in the patients who took part in the exercise programme than in the control patients. In addition, patients in the exercise group observed significantly less pain and dyspnoea. Adherence to the exercise programme was good (77%).

Based on these findings, Prof. May suggested that “physicians and nurses should routinely recommend supervised exercise to patients with metastatic breast cancer; policymakers and insurance companies should ensure cost coverage for exercise programmes.”

1. Ligibel JA, et al. J Clin Oncol 2022;40:2491-2507.
2. May AM, et al. Effects of a structured and individualised exercise program on fatigue and health-related quality of life in patients with metastatic breast cancer: the multinational randomized controlled PREFERABLE-EFFECT study. Abstract GS02-10, SABCS 2023, 5–9 December, San Antonio, TX, USA.

 

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Posted on 11 January 202411 January 2024