Resistance-Exercise Prehabilitation to Improve Muscle Mass in Postmenopausal Women Undergoing Neoadjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer

What this Trial Is About

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide, with aggressive types like HER2 and Triple Negative often treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery. This research evaluates whether a prehabilitation program based on resistance-exercise training can increase skeletal muscle mass and improve clinical outcomes for women undergoing neoadjuvant therapy before breast surgery. Participants will be divided into two groups one receiving usual care, including diagnosis confirmation, chemotherapy planning, and an education session, and the other group undergoing 16 to 20 weeks of whole-body resistance-exercise training twice weekly alongside usual care. The study includes a baseline period, the prehabilitation or usual care phase during chemotherapy, and follow-up assessments after surgery. Throughout the study, participants will undergo CT scans to measure muscle mass, blood tests for biochemical markers, tests for muscle strength and physical performance, and quality of life and fatigue questionnaires. Muscle and tumor tissue samples will be collected during surgery. Researchers will monitor clinical parameters such as adverse events and hospital readmissions, with assessments occurring before training, after training, and four weeks post-surgery to evaluate the effects of the intervention.

Prehabilitation With Resistance-exercise Training for Breast Cancer Neoadjuvant Therapy