Exercise reduces daily fatigue in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy

Purpose: Cancer treatment-related fatigue is the most prevalent and distres sing symptom of cancer therapy. Interventions to minimize fatigue are neede d. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between exerci se and fatigue over the first three cycles of chemotherapy in women receivi ng either cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and flourouracil (CMF) or doxorub icin and cyclophosphamide. (AC) fore breast cancer. Methods. Seventy-two ne wly diagnosed women with breast cancer were instructed in home-based modera te-intensity exercise intervention. Measures of functional ability, energy expenditure, and fatigue were obtained at baseline and posttest. Subjects m aintained daily records of four types of fatigue, and exercise duration, in tensity, and type. Results: Exercise significantly reduced all four levels of fatigue (P < 001). As the duration of exercise increased, the intensity of fatigue declined (P < 0.01). There was a significant carry-over effect o f exercise on fatigue, bu the effect lasted only 1 d. The level of fatigue at study entry was not associated with number of days of exercise or amount of execise a woman engaged in. Conclusions: The impact of exercise on fati gue wa significant and suggests the effectiveness of a low-to-moderate-inte nsity regular exercise program in maintaining functional ability and reduci ng fatigue in women with breast cancer receiving chemotherapy.