[Establishment of a pilot study of awareness retraining in physical activity in two selected populations of patients with breast cancer]. / Mise en place d'une étude pilote de sensibilisation au réentraînement à l'activité physique dans deux populations sélectionnées atteintes d'un cancer du sein.

The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of an educational program to raise awareness of the increased spending energy in two different population of patients with breast cancer by using the questionnaire POPAQ (Population Physical Activity Questionnaire). This is a prospective study including two groups of 15 consecutive breast cancer patients (≤ 50 years Group 1 and Group 2 > 50 and < 70 years) followed in the department of radiotherapy at the Institute of Cancer of the Loire from January to July 2011. A questionnaire of physical activity assessment was used at two different times before the diagnosis/treatment of breast cancer (t0) and at 6 months (t6) to measure the impact of the awareness method. Comparison of different measures of daily energy expenditure (t0) between groups 1 and 2 was statistically significant (1,1803 and 9434 kJ/24 h, respectively, p = 0.0005). Daily energy expenditure of professional activity was statistically different between the two groups (1437 and 457 kJ/24 h, in groups 1 and 2, respectively; p = 0.003). Between t0 and t6, we observed a significant decrease in total energy consumption in group 1 (1,1803 to 1,0876 kJ/24 h) while there was no significant change between the group 2, except energy expended at rest (basal metabolism). There were differences in daily energy expenditure based on age may influence behavioral patterns deal with energy expenditure in physical activities. Tomorrow's challenges are to provide re-entrainment programs tailored to targeted populations.

[Assessment of daily physical activity of breast cancer patients and comparison with two control populations]. / Quantification de l'activité physique journalière des patientes traitées pour un cancer du sein et comparaison avec deux populations témoins.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose is to assess the physical activity of breast cancer patients using a questionnaire, the Population Physical Activity Questionnaire (POPAQ) and to compare the data with those from two female populations: one healthy population and one with a previous history of cardiovascular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective study included 104 consecutive breast cancer patients who were addressed at the radiation oncology department, Institut de cancérologie de la Loire from March to July 2010. A questionnaire using factorial method was used for assessment of physical activity. RESULTS: In the study population, the rest energetic expenditures of physical energy related to both rest activity and low intensity activity were higher than in the healthy patients (5,292±1,376 versus 5,520±1,248 kJ/24 h, P<0.05 and 2,583±681 versus 2,494±558 kJ/24 h, P<0.05, respectively). Conversely, the energetic expenditures of physical energy related to both high physical activity and intensive physical activity were lower than in the healthy population (882±441 versus 1,560±868 kJ/24 h, P<0.05 et 210±274 versus 340±621 kJ/24 h, P<0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: The POPAQ allows quantifying the daily physical activity and seems feasible in clinical routine in breast cancer patients. In our study, it was found that the physical activity of those patients was significantly different from that of a healthy population. Further investigations are necessary for better defining the true impact of such differences in terms of incidence and prognostic for mammary carcinoma.

Remodeling of skeletal muscle microvasculature in sickle cell trait and alpha-thalassemia.

The influence of sickle cell trait and/or alpha-thalassemia on skeletal muscle microvascular network characteristics was assessed and compared with control subjects [hemoglobin (Hb) AA] in 30 Cameroonian residents [10 HbAA, 5 HbAA alpha-thalassemia (alpha-t), 6 HbAS, and 9 HbASalpha-t] matched for maximal work capacity and daily energy expenditure. Subjects performed an incremental exercise to exhaustion and underwent a muscle biopsy. Muscle fiber type and surface area were not different among groups. However, sickle cell trait (SCT) was associated with lower capillary density (P < 0.05), lower capillary tortuosity (P < 0.001), and enlarged microvessels (P < 0.01). SCT carriers had reduced counts of microvessels <5-microm diameter, but a higher percentage of broader microvessels, i.e., diameter >10 microm (P < 0.05). alpha-Thalassemia seemed to be characterized by a higher capillary tortuosity and unchanged capillary density and diameter. Thus, while SCT is a priori clinically benign, we demonstrate for the first time that significant remodeling of the microvasculature occurs in SCT carriers. These modifications may possibly reflect protective adaptations against hemorheological and microcirculatory dysfunction induced by the presence of HbS. The remodeling of the microvascular network occurs to a lesser extent in alpha-thalassemia. In alpha-thalassemic subjects, increased capillary tortuosity would promote oxygen supply to muscle tissues and might compensate for the lower Hb content often reported in those subjects.