Breast cancer affects one in eight women during their lifetime. With improvements in early detection and treatment, many women are surviving this disease and living long lives. Traditional treatments for breast cancer have side-effects that can persist after treatment. For some, cancer-related symptoms such as emotional distress,fatigue, and pain can last for years, negatively impacting the survivor’s quality of life. Over the past decade, exercise programs have gained attention as behavioral interventions providing relief for some cancer-related symptoms and improving physical health outcomes among survivors. However, it is unclear whether exercise interventions “overlap” symptoms and provide simultaneous relief for clusters of symptoms such as depression, pain, and fatigue. Further, the traditional approach to these interventions has been to recommend a bolus of activity (generally 30-45 minutes) performed once per day, five or more times per week. While such programs generate positive effects, it is unknown whether they are optimal for cancer survivors who may feel distressed, tired, and have pain. There is growing interest in studying whether short, intermittent bouts of activity dispersed throughout the day may be more appealing, attainable, and generate symptom management and physiological benefits that are similar or superior to traditional exercise interventions.

last updated:Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:10 AM