Are The ACSM Exercise Guidelines Safe And Achievable For Women Receiving Chemotherapy For Ovarian Cancer?

PURPOSE:Community-based exercise programs will be necessary to accommodate the volume of breast cancer survivors (BCS) in need of lifestyle/exercise guidance. However, attendance and enjoyment are critical components potentially preceding ideal outcomes. This study evaluated BCS compliance and satisfaction with 16-weeks of training at UNC Get REAL & Heel (GRH), a community-based exercise program. METHODS: BCS within 1 year of completing primary therapy (surgery, chemo, radiation) were prescribed 3, 1-hour days/week of combined aerobic and strength exercise training for 16 weeks at GRH. At exercise initiation, the intervention was designed to meet unique fitness/mobility needs of each BCS with gradual increases in intensity, duration, and volume of training. Compliance was the number of days BCS completed ≥80% of prescribed aerobic duration and strength sets/reps at the prescribed intensity using Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. Satisfaction was captured with an agreement scale questionnaire: 1(strongly disagree) to 4(strongly agree) and open-ended feedback after program completion. RESULTS: Thirty-two BCS (mean±SD; age 54±12ys, BMI 27.5±5) participated. They attended 73% of exercise sessions; yet average compliance was 26±9.6 days (54%) for aerobic and 14±5.2 days (29%) for strength. Program expectation and enjoyment was 3.6±0.6, self-motivation and empowerment was 3.5±0.6, and patient desire to have participated during treatment was 3.5±0.6 in n=30 (94%) BCS who responded to the questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Attendance was acceptable yet compliance to exercise prescription was suboptimal. Increasing intensity, especially for strength, appeared to be the primary contributor to lack of compliance because volume and duration prescription components were frequently met. Nevertheless, there was overwhelming positivity regarding BCS enjoyment of program, confidence to exercise independently, and desire to have started exercising during treatment. Expanding GRH days and hours/day was a recurring feedback theme and may have improved attendance. These factors are important for future program designs to best accommodate BCS returning to physiological and daily life challenges following cancer treatment. Funding support: Breast Cancer Research Foundation (New York, NY).