Study of a 24-Week Aerobic and Strength Exercise Program for Women With Early or Locally Advanced Breast Cancer After Surgery and Treatment

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating the effects of a 24-week exercise program on patients with early-stage and locally advanced breast cancer who have undergone curative breast surgery and completed any chemotherapy or radiotherapy. This randomized controlled study involves 2156 female patients aged 21 years or older, stratified by location, menopausal status, hormone receptor status, and body composition. The study aims to monitor disease-free survival and overall survival up to five years. The exercise program includes aerobic and muscle strength training sessions three times weekly for 24 weeks, totaling 72 sessions. The first nine sessions are supervised in person by physiotherapists, followed by 63 sessions supervised remotely or at gyms by trainers. Aerobic exercise involves 20-minute brisk walks or jogs on a treadmill targeting 50% to 70% of each participants VO2max, while strength training includes circuit resistance exercises focusing on major muscle groups. Participants will undergo regular monitoring including blood collection at baseline, 8, 16, 24, and 52 weeks, then annually for four years. Assessments include cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, daily physical activity, body composition, quality of life questionnaires, and food diaries. The study includes two groups the exercise intervention group and a usual care control group, with disease-free survival as the primary outcome measured over five years.

Breast Cancer Exercise Intervention Study