RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The majority of women with breast cancer experience treatment-related fatigue. Fatigue makes patients more inclined to terminate their treatment, which influences patient prognosis and survivorship. PURPOSE: This study explores the effects of a walking program on fatigue and exercise capacity in women who have undergone breast cancer surgery. METHODS: This was a randomized control trial study with measures taken 3 times over 5 weeks. Sixty-six women with breast cancer were recruited from a medical center in central Taiwan. The intervention was a moderate-intensity, home-based walking program. The Functional Assessment for Chronic Illness Treatment-Fatigue and distance walked in a 6-minute period, respectively, were used to score the main outcome measures of fatigue and exercise capacity. RESULTS: For those who accepted chemotherapy, fatigue was significantly higher during chemotherapy than after surgery. Although participants in the walking program achieved gradually reduced fatigue and increased exercise capacity, there was no significant difference in fatigue and exercise capacity between the exercise and control groups at any of the three measured times. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Nurse collaboration with healthcare providers to promote exercise in the breast cancer population may not only improve the health of post-surgery breast cancer women but also enhance the independent functioning of nurses and advance the nursing profession.