Changes in amount and intensity of physical activity over time in breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity is associated with decreased breast cancer recurrence and mortality, as well as fewer treatment-related symptoms. Nevertheless, most breast cancer survivors do not meet physical activity guidelines. The purpose of this manuscript is to characterize physical activity trends over time in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry participants received surveys at baseline and at 1 and 4 years after diagnosis; breast cancer recurrence and/or metastatic disease were exclusion criteria. Participants were considered to be meeting guidelines if they self-reported at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity (eg, fast walking) and/or strenuous (eg, jogging) physical activity per week. Statistical analyses include analysis of covariance methods, paired t tests, conditional logistic regression models, and McNemar tests of homogeneity. RESULTS: A total of 171 participants were included in the analysis. The amount of total physical activity decreased over time (P = .07). Mild-intensity physical activity (eg, easy walking) decreased most over time (P = .05). Among participants aged 18-49 years, mild-intensity (P = .05) and moderate-intensity (P = .02) physical activity decreased over time. Strenuous-intensity physical activity levels decreased over time among participants with a normal body mass index (P = .002) and with obesity (P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: We found a trend-level decrease in total physical activity over time, driven mostly by a decrease in mild-intensity physical activity. Young breast cancer survivors are especially likely to reduce their physical activity over time. Further research on implementing physical activity guidelines in clinical practice is warranted.

Factors Associated With Physical Activity Levels in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Physical activity (PA) is associated with improvement in breast cancer treatment-related symptoms and survival, yet most breast cancer survivors do not meet national PA guidelines. This study aimed to identify characteristics of participants that were associated with an increased likelihood of meeting PA guidelines. Adults with breast cancer seen at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN) were surveyed regarding their PA participation, and those who self-reported at least 150 minutes of moderate and/or strenuous aerobic PA weekly on average were considered to be "meeting guidelines". Three thousand participants returned PA data. Younger age, completion of the survey 7-12 years after diagnosis, absence of recurrence, no bilateral mastectomy, absence of metastatic disease, and lower BMI at the time of survey completion were associated with PA participation (P < .05 in univariate and multivariate analyses). Findings were similar when a threshold of 90 minutes was applied. These results may inform the development of targeted PA-facilitating interventions.

Identifying Gaps in Research on Rehabilitation for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVES: Examine the amount and nature of research activity in head and neck cancer (HNC) rehabilitation; highlight publication trends, including information about the authors, settings, and study designs; and identify gaps in the existing literature. DATA SOURCES: Eligible studies were identified using PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria included human subjects, English language, publication between 1/1/1990 and 4/30/2017, HNC patients at any timepoint in disease, and evaluation of rehabilitation outcomes as described by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Exclusion criteria included intervention or outcome not specific to rehabilitation or the HNC population, and protocols or abstracts without corresponding full manuscripts. DATA EXTRACTION: An established 6-step scoping review framework was utilized to develop the review protocol. A 3-level review was then performed. Data on eligible studies were collected using a Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) tool. DATA SYNTHESIS: Among 2201 publications, 258 met inclusion criteria. Publication rate increased by 390% over the study timeframe. Most studies were observational (n=150). Few were interventional (n=35). The most common interventions focused on chewing or swallowing (n=14), followed by exercise (n=10). Most primary outcome measures fit the ICF definition of impairment; fewer fit the definitions of activity limitation or participation restriction. CONCLUSIONS: Although research volume in HNC rehabilitation is increasing, the literature is dominated by small (≤100 patients), outpatient-based observational studies involving chewing or swallowing-related impairments. More prospective studies in multidisciplinary domains across the cancer care continuum are needed. There is particular need for interventional studies and prospective observational studies. Future studies should evaluate clinically-relevant activity limitations and participation restrictions. Rehabilitation professionals have an important role in the design of future HNC rehabilitation research.