exercise program for early breast cancer survivors

Conditions: Stage I Breast Cancer; Stage II Breast Cancer; Stage IIIA Breast Cancer; Stage IIIB Breast Cancer; Stage IIIC Breast Cancer

Summary: rationale: exercise therapy may improve the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. purpose: this randomized clinical trial studies exercise therapy and quality of life in postmenopausal early breast cancer survivors receiving aromatase inhibitor therapy.

primary objectives: i. to determine whether a 16-week exercise intervention will improve components of metastasis (mets) in breast cancer survivors soon after completion of cancer-related treatments by measuring changes in body composition, waist circumference, blood pressure, and serum levels of insulin, glucose, lipids, c-reactive protein, and hemoglobin a1c (hba1c). ii. to determine whether a 16-week exercise intervention will improve physical fitness in breast cancer survivors soon after completion of cancer-related treatments by measuring cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength. iii. to assesses the feasibility of a supervised exercise intervention in early breast cancer survivors. iv. to determine whether a 16-week exercise intervention will result in a reduction in adipose tissue inflammation in obese breast cancer survivors soon after completion of cancer-related treatments by measuring atm phenotype and atm cytokine expression. v. to determine whether breast cancer survivors can maintain positive benefits of an exercise intervention following a 12-week follow-up period by measuring changes in body composition, waist circumference, blood pressure, and serum levels of insulin, glucose, lipids, c-reactive protein, and hba1c, cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle strength. outline: patients are randomized to 1 of 2 arms. arm i (control): patients refrain from increasing physical activity levels for 16 weeks. arm ii (exercise): patients participate in supervised exercise sessions over 60 minutes thrice weekly and are encouraged to participate in a home-based exercise session over 30-45 minutes once weekly for 16 weeks.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * newly diagnosed (i-iii) with a first primary invasive breast cancer * have undergone a lumpectomy or mastectomy * have completed neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy and able to initiate exercise program (if randomized to that arm) within 12 weeks of therapy completion * body mass index (bmi) \> 25 kg/m\^2 or body fat \> 30% (determined by dr. dieli-conwright at baseline visit) * currently participate in less than 60 minutes of physical activity per week may use adjuvant endocrine therapy if use will be continued for duration of study period * nonsmokers (i.e., not smoking during previous 12 months) * willing to travel to the exercise facility and usc * able to provide physician clearance to participate in exercise program * women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds will be included in the study enrollment process exclusion criteria: * history of chronic disease including diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension or thyroid disease * weight reduction \>= 10% within past 6 months * diagnosed with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (her2)-positive tumor (exclusion due to patient use of herceptin medication for 1 year following chemotherapy) * metastatic disease * planned reconstructive surgery with flap repair during trial and follow-up period * cardiovascular, respiratory or musculoskeletal disease or joint problems that preclude moderate physical activity

Keywords: cancer survivor