Resistance Training to Improve Fatigue and Physical Function in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Survivors

Emory University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cancer

Treatments: Other: Resistance training (RT); Behavioral: Cognitively-based compassion training control (CBCT)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03539835

IRB00103558

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will begin to fill a knowledge gap by determine whether changes in kynurenine metabolism occur following Resistance Training (RT) and relate to reductions in inflammation and improved behavioral and physical function as this may identify potential targets for interventions to promote cancer recovery.

Full description

Interventions that reduce pro-inflammatory cytokines with resultant stimulation of kynurenine metabolism may be increasingly important in Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS) to prevent susceptibility to cancer associated fatigue, depression, and declines in muscle mass and function.

There is emerging evidence that supports exercise as a non-pharmacological therapy to prevent cancer recurrence, sedentary behaviors, and obesity during cancer survivorship . It seems that interventions that include resistance training (RT) are most efficacious at reducing fatigue in BCS This study will begin to fill a knowledge gap by determine whether changes in kynurenine metabolism occur following RT and relate to reductions in inflammation and improved behavioral and physical function as this may identify potential targets for interventions to promote cancer recovery.

Enrollment: 28 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 50 to 75 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. within 6 months to 10 years post active breast cancer therapy (i.e. surgery/chemotherapy) for stage I-III invasive breast cancer,
2. at least 6 months post breast reconstruction (if applicable),
3. lack of menses for at least one year,
4. BMI 20-35 kg/m2,
5. fatigued (subjective reporting ≥3 on a 1-10 scale),
6. untrained with regard to structured resistance training (no more than 3x/week).

Exclusion criteria

1. plans for surgery (e.g., breast reconstruction) during the study period,
2. taking an anticoagulant medication (i.e. heparin, apixaban, rivaroxaban),
3. allergic to lidocaine,
4. orthopedic or chronic pain condition restricting exercise,
5. Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores below education-specific cut-points (less than 23 for more than 9th grade education and less than 17 for less than 8th grade education),
6. unable to receive physician medical clearance.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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28 participants in 2 patient groups

Resistance training

Experimental group

Treatment:

Other: Resistance training (RT)

Cognitively-based compassion training

Active Comparator group

Treatment:

Behavioral: Cognitively-based compassion training control (CBCT)