Physical Activity Promotion in Cancer Follow-Up Care

Background: With improved survival rates, there are growing numbers of cancer survivors. These individuals report impaired physical functioning, anxiety and depressed mood, fatigue, and reduced quality of life after treatment. In addition, they may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis and future cancers. Prior research has demonstrated that moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) can improve enhance physical functioning, reduce fatigue and improve vigor among cancer patients and those who have completed medical treatments. These efforts have not been integrated with the healthcare system. Data support the role of primary care providers in promoting PA among their sedentary patients; the role of oncologists in encouraging patients to become physically active has not been examined.

Objectives: This study aims at testing the efficacy of a PA intervention in an outpatient oncology setting. We plan to compare Brief Advice for PA (MD advice plus contact control) vs. Extended Advice (MD advice plus telephone-based PA counseling by research staff) over 3 months among 300 women who have completed treatment for breast cancer in the past 2 years.

Specific Aims: The primary aim is to examine the effects of oncologists' advice on PA plus telephone counseling (Extended Advice) vs. oncologists' advice (Brief Advice) alone on minutes of moderate-intensity PA at 3 months among 300 sedentary women who have completed treatment for breast cancer.

Secondary aims include examining a) the effects of the two interventions on participants' moderate-intensity PA at 6 and 12 months, b) the effects of the interventions on participants' physical functioning, fatigue, vigor and quality of life (QOL) at 3, 6 and 12 months, and c) the acceptability of the interventions to the oncologists and the usefulness of the interventions to patients.

Study Design: A randomized, controlled trial will be conducted in outpatient oncology practices in Rhode Island. Within this setting, the oncologists and research staff will offer a 3 month, theoretically-based intervention to increase moderate-intensity PA among 300 sedentary women aged 18 and older who attend cancer follow-up visits. The unit of randomization will be at the patient level.

Cancer Relevance: If the data are promising, the study lays the groundwork for improving cancer recovery by integrating a brief PA intervention into follow-up care for cancer survivors. This study offers the potential to improve the follow-up care for cancer survivors by encouraging them to becoming physically active, to help reduce the emotional and physical side-effects of cancer and its treatment, as well as possibly reduce their risk for other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.