American Cancer Society nutrition and physical activity guideline for cancer survivors.

The overall 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined is now 68%, and there are over 16.9 million survivors in the United States. Evidence from laboratory and observational studies suggests that factors such as diet, physical activity, and obesity may affect risk for recurrence and overall survival after a cancer diagnosis. The purpose of this American Cancer Society guideline is to provide evidence-based, cancer-specific recommendations for anthropometric parameters, physical activity, diet, and alcohol intake for reducing recurrence and cancer-specific and overall mortality. The audiences for this guideline are health care providers caring for cancer survivors as well as cancer survivors and their families. The guideline is intended to serve as a resource for informing American Cancer Society programs, health policy, and the media. Sources of evidence that form the basis of this guideline are systematic literature reviews, meta-analyses, pooled analyses of cohort studies, and large randomized clinical trials published since 2012. Recommendations for nutrition and physical activity during cancer treatment, informed by current practice, large cancer care organizations, and reviews of other expert bodies, are also presented. To provide additional context for the guidelines, the authors also include information on the relationship between health-related behaviors and comorbidities, long-term sequelae and patient-reported outcomes, and health disparities, with attention to enabling survivors' ability to adhere to recommendations. Approaches to meet survivors' needs are addressed as well as clinical care coordination and resources for nutrition and physical activity counseling after a cancer diagnosis.

Effects of a Pragmatic Home-based Exercise Program Concurrent With Neoadjuvant Therapy on Physical Function of Patients With Pancreatic Cancer: The PancFit Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of a preoperative, home-based exercise program on fitness and physical function in patients with pancreatic cancer. BACKGROUND: We previously established a well-tolerated preoperative exercise program after finding a high frequency of sarcopenia and frailty in patients with pancreatic cancer. METHODS: In this randomized, controlled trial (NCT03187951), patients with pancreatic cancer were randomized to Arm A: enhanced usual care or Arm B: prescribed aerobic and resistance exercise during neoadjuvant therapy. Patients received nutrition counseling and activity trackers. The primary endpoint was a 6-minute walk distance (6MWD; ≥14 meters improvement was clinically meaningful). Secondary endpoints included additional physical function tests, health-related quality of life, and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-one patients were randomized. Objectively measured weekly activity (153.2±135.6 and 159.8±122.8 min in Arm A and B, respectively, P =0.62) and self-reported weekly moderate-to-strenuous physical activity (107.4±160.4 and 129.6±161.6 min in Arm A and Arm B, respectively, P =0.49) were similar, but weekly strength training sessions increased more in Arm B (by 1.8±1.8 vs 0.1±2.4 sessions, P <0.001). 6MWD improved in both Arm A (mean change 18.6±56.8 m, P =0.01) and Arm B (27.3±68.1 m, P =0.002). Quality of life and clinical outcomes did not significantly differ between arms. Pooling patients in both study groups, exercise, and physical activity was favorably associated with physical performance and clinical outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: In this randomized trial of prescribed exercise versus enhanced usual care during neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer, a high volume of physical activity and increased exercise capacity were observed in both arms, highlighting the importance of activity among patients preparing for surgery.

The Online Cancer Nutrition Misinformation: A framework of behavior change based on exposure to cancer nutrition misinformation.

BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer and caregivers increasingly use the internet to find health and lifestyle information, yet online recipes, diet, and nutrition content are unregulated and may be confusing or even misleading. We describe cancer-related nutrition and meal planning information from Pinterest. METHODS: In June 2020, we searched Pinterest using "cancer recipe" and "recipe for cancer" at 3 times daily for 2 weeks. Duplicates were removed for a final sample of n = 103 pins. Each pin was coded for 58 variables including descriptives, cancer claims (eg, treatment, prevention, and cure), and nutrition claims (eg, "turmeric cures cancer"). We summarized each variable to describe the content of cancer nutrition claims on Pinterest and examined associations between claim types and contextual factors, including the use of academic citations, disclaimers, and personal anecdotes. RESULTS: Pinners had on average 116,767 followers (range, 0-1.5 million). Almost half of content sites were for profit (48.5%) and 34% were selling a product. Health claims were common, with content that purported to prevent (41.8%), treat (27.2%), or cure (10.7%) cancer. Vague phrases such as "anti-cancer," "cancer-fighting," or "cancer-busting" were also used. The inclusion of validity indicators including academic citations, disclaimers, and personal anecdotes varied significantly by the types of claims made. Together, these analyses informed the development of a conceptual framework of cancer-related nutrition misinformation. CONCLUSIONS: There are clear financial incentives for the promotion of cancer nutrition information online. More research is needed to understand how exposure to nutrition information can influence patient/caregiver behavior and downstream clinical and psychosocial outcomes.

Acceptance- and mindfulness-based techniques for physical activity promotion in breast cancer survivors: a qualitative study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize the relevance and potential utility of an electronically delivered acceptance- and mindfulness-based approaches to physical activity promotion for insufficiently active breast cancer survivors. METHODS: The acceptance- and mindfulness-based physical activity intervention was delivered to participants electronically over the course of 4-8 weeks. It consisted of didactic videos, experiential exercises, and workbook-type activities that targeted principles from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with participants after they completed the intervention. Three coders conducted qualitative data analysis on interview transcripts to identify overarching themes and subthemes. RESULTS: We recruited 30 participants. Of those, 16 engaged in an individual interview. The mean age of the sample was 58.4 years (SD = 13.8). The sample was relatively well educated (50.0% college graduates) and mostly overweight or obese (58.8%). We identified two overarching themes from interviews. They were centered on (1) internal and external barriers to physical activity adherence and (2) the utility of targeting core ACT processes (acceptance and defusion, mindfulness, and values clarification) for physical activity promotion. CONCLUSION: Intervention content was perceived to be acceptable, relevant, and to fulfill important needs related to healthy living. Findings suggest that this approach to physical activity promotion can be delivered effectively online. Electronically delivered acceptance- and mindfulness-based approaches hold promise for helping insufficiently active breast cancer survivors increase physical activity.

Changes in physical activity associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with overweight and obesity: an interrupted time series analysis with historical controls.

The objective of this study was to investigate changes in physical activity patterns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in individuals with overweight and obesity who were participating in a school district worksite weight loss program. We conducted comparative design interrupted time series analyses on physical activity device (Fitbit) data from the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years (N = 211). We administered a questionnaire in 2020 to supplement device data. After the stay-at-home orders in 2020, participants tended to decrease their weekly step count (B = -1315.7, SE = 627.7, p = .045), decrease their weekly "Lightly active minutes" (B = -39.1, SE = 12.6, p = .007), and increase their weekly "Very active minutes" compared to their counterparts from the year before (B = 7.6, SE = 3.2, p = .020). Decreased motivation, gym closures, and safety concerns were cited as barriers to physical activity. Having more time and health consciousness were cited as facilitators of physical activity. The COVID-19 pandemic was related to changes in physical activity in both positive and negative ways, revealing opportunities to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in this population. More research is needed to determine optimal approaches to health promotion in the post-COVID-19 era.

Feasibility and efficacy of a weight gain prevention intervention for breast cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a randomized controlled pilot study.

PURPOSE: Weight gain is common among breast cancer patients and may contribute to poorer treatment outcomes. Most programs target breast cancer survivors after the completion of therapy and focus on weight reduction. This study examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of an intervention designed to prevent primary weight gain among women receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. METHODS: Thirty-eight newly diagnosed stage II or III breast cancer patients were randomized to the BALANCE intervention or usual care within 3 weeks of starting neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The intervention used a size acceptance-based approach and encouraged home-based resistance and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise as well as a low energy-dense diet to prevent weight gain. Assessments were conducted at baseline, mid-chemotherapy (3 months), and post-chemotherapy (6 months). Intervention feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects on anthropometric, quality of life, and circulating biomarker measures were evaluated. RESULTS: Intervention participant retention (100%) and in-person session attendance (80%) were high during the intervention period, although attendance dropped to 43% for telephone-delivered sessions. The majority of participants reported being satisfied with the intervention during chemotherapy (88%). Participants in the intervention group had greater reductions in waist circumference (p = .03) and greater improvements in self-reported vitality scores (p = .03) than the control group at the end of chemotherapy. Significant effects on biomarkers were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: A size acceptance weight management program is feasible during neoadjuvant chemotherapy among breast cancer patients and may have beneficial effects on waist circumference and patient vitality. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered as a clinical trial at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00533338).

The BE GONE trial study protocol: a randomized crossover dietary intervention of dry beans targeting the gut microbiome of overweight and obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer.

BACKGROUND: Mouse and human studies support the promise of dry beans to improve metabolic health and to lower cancer risk. In overweight/obese patients with a history of colorectal polyps or cancer, the Beans to Enrich the Gut microbiome vs. Obesity's Negative Effects (BE GONE) trial will test whether and how an increase in the consumption of pre-cooked, canned dry beans within the context of usual diet and lifestyle can enhance the gut landscape to improve metabolic health and reduce cancer risk. METHODS/DESIGN: This randomized crossover trial is designed to characterize changes in (1) host markers spanning lipid metabolism, inflammation, and obesity-related cancer risk; (2) compositional and functional profiles of the fecal microbiome; and (3) host and microbial metabolites. With each subject serving as their own control, the trial will compare the participant's usual diet with (intervention) and without (control) dry beans. Canned, pre-cooked dry beans are provided to participants and the usual diet continually assessed and monitored. Following a 4-week run-in and equilibration period, each participant provides a total of 5 fasting blood and 6 stool samples over a total period of 16 weeks. The intervention consists of a 2-week ramp-up of dry bean intake to 1 cup/d, which is then continued for an additional 6 weeks. Intra- and inter-individual outcomes are assessed across each crossover period with consideration of the joint or modifying effects of the usual diet and baseline microbiome. DISCUSSION: The BE GONE trial is evaluating a scalable dietary prevention strategy targeting the gut microbiome of high-risk patients to mitigate the metabolic and inflammatory effects of adiposity that influence colorectal cancer risk, recurrence, and survival. The overarching scientific goal is to further elucidate interactions between diet, the gut microbiome, and host metabolism. Improved understanding of the diet-microbiota interplay and effective means to target these relationships will be key to the future of clinical and public health approaches to cancer and other major diet- and obesity-related diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This protocol is registered with the U.S. National Institutes of Health trial registry, ClinicalTrials.gov, under the identifier NCT02843425. First posted July 25, 2016; last verified January 25, 2019.

Change in physical activity and quality of life in endometrial cancer survivors receiving a physical activity intervention.

BACKGROUND: Endometrial cancer survivors are at an increased risk of poor quality of life outcomes. Physical activity is positively associated with general quality of life in this population, however, little is known about how changes in physical activity may be associated with changes in specific aspects of quality of life. The aim of this secondary data analysis was to explore the relationships between change in physical activity and change in physical, mental, social, and other aspects of quality of life in endometrial cancer survivors receiving a physical activity intervention. METHODS: Endometrial cancer survivors (N = 100) participated in a telephone-based physical activity intervention for six months. At baseline and post-intervention we measured physical activity via accelerometry and ecological momentary assessment, and quality of life via the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the Quality of Life of Adult Cancer Survivors instrument, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Perceived Stress Scale. We conducted structural equation modeling path analyses to investigate how physical activity post-intervention was associated with the quality of life measures' subscales post-intervention, adjusting for baseline levels and potentially confounding covariates. RESULTS: Increasing physical activity was positively associated with improvements in general health (p = .044), role limitation due to physical health (p = .005), pain (p = .041), and somatic distress (p = .023). There was no evidence to indicate that change in physical activity was associated with change in other aspects of quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Endometrial cancer survivors are at higher risk for suffering from challenges to physical quality of life, and findings from this study suggest that increasing physical activity may alleviate some of these problems. Further research is needed to determine whether other aspects of quality of life are linked to change in physical activity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: NCT00501761 Name of registry: clinicaltrials.gov Date of registration: July 16, 2007. Date of enrollment: June 16, 2005.

Physical activity and exercise during preoperative pancreatic cancer treatment.

PURPOSE: Guidelines recommend exercise to cancer survivors, but limited data exists regarding exercise among patients undergoing preoperative cancer treatment. We examined differences in weekly self-reported exercise and accelerometer-measured physical activity among participants in a home-based exercise program administered during preoperative treatment for pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Participants were encouraged to perform at least 60 min/week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and at least 60 min/week of full-body strengthening exercises concurrent with chemotherapy, chemoradiation therapy or both sequentially and received resistance equipment, program instruction, and biweekly follow-up calls to encourage adherence. Self-reported aerobic and strengthening exercise minutes were measured using daily logs, and physical activity was measured objectively using accelerometers. RESULTS: Fifty participants (48% female, mean age 66 ± 8 years) participated for an average of 16 ± 9 preoperative weeks. Participants reported overall means of 126 ± 83 weekly minutes of aerobic exercise and 39 ± 33 weekly minutes of strengthening exercise in daily logs. Participants performed 158.7 ± 146.7 weekly minutes of accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. There were no significant differences in exercise or physical activity between treatment phases. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that it is feasible to target the entire preoperative course for exercise prescription. Although participants exceeded aerobic exercise recommendations on average, we observed low strengthening exercise adherence and wide variability in self-reported exercise and accelerometer physical activity variables. These findings suggest that additional support, including program adaptations, may be necessary to overcome barriers to exercise or improve motivation when prescribing exercise in this clinical scenario.

Physical activity and the risk of colorectal cancer in Lynch syndrome.

Greater physical activity is associated with a decrease in risk of colorectal cancer for the general population; however, little is known about its relationship with colorectal cancer risk in people with Lynch syndrome, carriers of inherited pathogenic mutations in genes affecting DNA mismatch repair (MMR). We studied a cohort of 2,042 MMR gene mutations carriers (n = 807, diagnosed with colorectal cancer), from the Colon Cancer Family Registry. Self-reported physical activity in three age-periods (20-29, 30-49 and ≥50 years) was summarized as average metabolic equivalent of task hours per week (MET-hr/week) during the age-period of cancer diagnosis or censoring (near-term exposure) and across all age-periods preceding cancer diagnosis or censoring (long-term exposure). Weighted Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between physical activity and colorectal cancer risk. Near-term physical activity was associated with a small reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer (HR ≥35 vs. <3.5 MET-hr/week, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.96). The strength and direction of associations were similar for long-term physical activity, although the associations were not nominally significant. Our results suggest that physical activity is inversely associated with the risk of colorectal cancer for people with Lynch syndrome; however, further confirmation is warranted. The potential modifying effect of physical activity on colorectal cancer risk in people with Lynch syndrome could be useful for risk prediction and support counseling advice for lifestyle modification to reduce cancer risk.

Endometrial cancer survivors' sleep patterns before and after a physical activity intervention: A retrospective cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the baseline sleep patterns of endometrial cancer survivors and examine the impact of a physical activity intervention on their sleep quality via retrospective secondary analysis. METHODS: Early-stage endometrial cancer survivors participated in a 6-month single-arm exercise intervention using printed materials, telephone-based counseling, and pedometers to encourage adherence to exercise guidelines. Participants completed questionnaires evaluating their sleep (PSQI), physical activity (CHAMPS), quality of life (SF-36), and stress (PSS) at baseline and study completion. RESULTS: Ninety-five survivors had PSQI data at both time points. Mean age was 57.1 years (range, 25-76). Mean body mass index was 34.3 kg/m2. The majority were non-Hispanic white (75%) and had stage I disease (80%). At baseline, most survivors (61%) had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5), with 24% reporting fairly or very bad sleep. The majority (63%) slept <7 h/night. At least once during the preceding month, 83% had an episode of daytime dysfunction. A pairwise comparison showed that obese survivors had more sleep disturbances than normal weight survivors (p = 0.029). No other clinicodemographic factors were associated with sleep. In unadjusted analyses, sleep quality significantly improved in women who increased weekly total or moderate/vigorous physical activity (p = 0.004 and p < 0.050, respectively). This association persisted after adjusting for the potential covariates of age, time since diagnosis, obesity status, disease stage, and treatment (p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that poor sleep is common and detrimental to endometrial cancer survivors. Increasing exercise may improve this dysfunction and should be investigated as part of a prospective study.

Perirenal Adiposity is Associated With Lower Progression-Free Survival From Ovarian Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Abdominal obesity is linked with a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer. However, the link between abdominal obesity and survival after diagnosis of ovarian cancer is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of abdominal obesity on progression-free survival in patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS: Among 258 patients, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue volume, along with perirenal adipose tissue thickness (a visceral adiposity proxy measure) was retrospectively measured from abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans obtained within 6 months of ovarian cancer diagnosis. Progression-free survival was computed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank tests. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to determine relationships between measures of abdominal obesity and clinical variables in relation to progression-free survival. RESULTS: Patients with perirenal adipose tissue thickness greater than 5 mm(median) had lower rates of progression-free survival at 5 years compared with patients with perirenal adipose tissue thickness less than 5 mm (45.6% vs 53.8%, respectively). Perirenal adipose tissue thickness less than 5 mm was associated with lower rates of progression-free survival on multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.82). There was no correlation with other metrics of abdominal adiposity on progression-free survival in univariate or multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that perirenal adipose, but not body mass index, visceral, or subcutaneous fat volume that were measured within 6 months from diagnosis, is associated with lower rates of progression-free survival in ovarian cancer.

Association Between Vaginal Douching and Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection Among Women in the United States.

The very few studies that have examined the association between vaginal douching and genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection have found contrary results. We investigated the associations between douching and numbers of HPV genotypes infecting 1271 participants aged 20-49 years in the 2003-2004 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After controlling for relevant covariates, douching in the past 6 months was significantly associated with infection by higher numbers of all genital HPV types (relative risk ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.54) and HPV high-risk types (1.40; 1.09-1.80).

Testing the effects of narrative and play on physical activity among breast cancer survivors using mobile apps: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity reduces risk for numerous negative health outcomes, but postmenopausal breast cancer survivors do not reach recommended levels. Many interventions encourage self-monitoring of steps, which can increase physical activity in the short term. However, these interventions appear insufficient to increase motivation for sustained change. There is a need for innovative strategies to increase physical activity motivation in this population. Narratives are uniquely persuasive, and video games show promise for increasing motivation. This study will determine the effectiveness of an intervention that combines narrative and gaming to encourage sustained physical activity. METHODS/DESIGN: SMARTGOAL (Self-Monitoring Activity: a Randomized Trial of Game-Oriented AppLications) is a randomized controlled intervention trial. The intervention period is six months, followed by a six month maintenance period. Participants (overweight, sedentary postmenopausal breast cancer survivors aged 45-75) will be randomized to a self-monitoring group or an enhanced narrative game group. The self-monitoring group will be encouraged to use a mobile application for self-monitoring and feedback and will receive 15 counseling phone calls emphasizing self-regulation. The narrative game group will be encouraged to use a mobile application that includes self-monitoring and feedback as well as a narrative-based active video game. The 15 calls for this group will emphasize concepts related to the game storyline. Counseling calls in both groups will occur weekly in months 1 - 3 and monthly in months 4 - 6. No counseling calls will occur after month 6, but both groups will be encouraged to continue using their apps. The primary outcome of the study is minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity at six months. Other objectively measured outcomes include fitness and physical function. Self-reported outcomes include quality of life, depression, and motivation. DISCUSSION: This protocol will result in implementation and evaluation of two technology-based physical activity interventions among breast cancer survivors. Both interventions hold promise for broad dissemination. Understanding the potential benefit of adding narrative and game elements to interventions will provide critical information to interventionists, researchers, clinicians, and policymakers. This study is uniquely suited to investigate not just whether but how and why game elements may improve breast cancer survivors' health. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT02341235 (January 9, 2015).

Sexual health of endometrial cancer survivors before and after a physical activity intervention: A retrospective cohort analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Sexual dysfunction is common in endometrial cancer survivors (ECS). Our group previously tested a six-month exercise intervention in ECS. We performed a secondary analysis to determine intervention's impact on sexual health. METHODS: We studied 100 post-treatment Stage I-IIIa sedentary ECS who participated in a non-controlled, single-arm, home-based exercise intervention utilizing telephone counseling, printed material, and pedometers. Quality-of-life and physical activity measures were collected at baseline and six months. Sexual function (SF) and sexual interest (SI) scores were extracted from the QLACS questionnaire. RESULTS: Baseline SF and SI were lower in survivors with less than a four-year college degree (P<0.001). Baseline SI was higher in survivors who were married or living with a significant other (P=0.012). No significant differences in SF or SI were observed based on obesity status, race, time since diagnosis, or treatment type. Post-intervention, mean SF score improved (P=0.002), 51% of participants had improved SI, and 43% had improved SF. When controlled for age and time since diagnosis, a one-hour increase in weekly physical activity was associated with a 6.5% increased likelihood of improved SI (P=0.04). Increased physical activity was not associated with improved SF. CONCLUSIONS: Although causation cannot be determined in this study, the correlation between receipt of an exercise intervention and improved sexual health for ECS is a novel finding. This finding suggests a role for physical activity as a strategy to improve the sexual health of ECS, which our group is examining in a larger prospective study.

Patient and physician factors associated with participation in cervical and uterine cancer trials: an NRG/GOG247 study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to identify patient and physician factors related to enrollment onto Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) trials. METHODS: Prospective study of women with primary or recurrent cancer of the uterus or cervix treated at a GOG institution from July 2010 to January 2012. Logistic regression examined probability of availability, eligibility and enrollment in a GOG trial. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for significant (p<0.05) results reported. RESULTS: Sixty institutions, 781 patients, and 150 physicians participated, 300/780 (38%) had a trial available, 290/300 had known participation status. Of these, 150 women enrolled (59.5%), 102 eligible did not enroll (35%), 38 (13%) were ineligible. Ethnicity and specialty of physician, practice type, data management availability, and patient age were significantly associated with trial availability. Patients with >4 comorbidities (OR 4.5; CI 1.7-11.8) had higher odds of trial ineligibility. Non-White patients (OR 7.9; CI 1.3-46.2) and patients of Black physicians had greater odds of enrolling (OR 56.5; CI 1.1-999.9) in a therapeutic trial. Significant patient therapeutic trial enrollment factors: belief trial may help (OR 76.9; CI 4.9->1000), concern about care if not on trial (OR12.1; CI 2.1-71.4), pressure to enroll (OR .27; CI 0.12-.64), caregiving without pay (OR 0.13; CI .02-.84). Significant physician beliefs were: patients would not do well on standard therapy (OR 3.6; CI 1.6-8.4), and trial would not be time consuming (OR 3.3; CI 1.3-8.1). CONCLUSIONS: Trial availability, patient and physician beliefs were factors identified that if modified could improve enrollment in cancer cooperative group clinical trials.

Outcomes for breast cancer survivors with metastatic disease in a physical activity program for medically underserved cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: This study examined the effectiveness and feasibility of the Active Living After Cancer (ALAC) program for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) survivors. METHODS: ALAC is a 12-session community-based program to help cancer survivors improve their physical functioning and quality of life through increased physical activity. ALAC participants with MBC (stage IV) were compared to survivors with early-stage breast cancer (stages I and II). The International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity, 30-second sit-to-stand test, and PROMIS Global Health were administered at baseline and follow-up. Program satisfaction and retention were assessed at week 12. Repeated-measures mixed models were used to compare changes in outcomes between survivors with early-stage breast cancer and MBC. RESULTS: A total of 585 women (59.3 y ± 10.6), most of whom were Hispanic (54%) or non-Hispanic Black (22%), were included (early stage, n = 538; MBC, n = 47). After the ALAC program, a significant increase in physical activity (P < 0.001), improved physical and mental health T-scores (P < 0.001), and more sit-to-stand repetitions (P < 0.001) were observed for both survivors with early-stage breast cancer and MBC. Women with MBC showed significantly lower physical health (P = 0.037) and physical function (P = 0.010) compared to early-stage at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The ALAC program increased physical activity and improved health-related quality of life and physical function among breast cancer survivors with both early-stage and metastatic disease. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating physical activity interventions like the ALAC program into the comprehensive care of cancer survivors, including those with metastatic disease.

Association of cancer diagnosis with disability status among older survivors of colorectal cancer: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

Background: Older cancer survivors likely experience physical function limitations due to cancer and its treatments, leading to disability and early mortality. Existing studies have focused on factors associated with surgical complications and mortality risk rather than factors associated with the development of poor disability status (DS), a proxy measure of poor performance status, in cancer survivors. We aimed to identify factors associated with the development of poor DS among older survivors of colorectal cancer (CRC) and compare poor DS rates to an age-sex-matched, non-cancer cohort. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized administrative data from the Texas Cancer Registry Medicare-linked database. The study cohort consisted of 13,229 survivors of CRC diagnosed between 2005 and 2013 and an age-sex-matched, non-cancer cohort of 13,225 beneficiaries. The primary outcome was poor DS, determined by Davidoff's method, using predictors from 12 months of Medicare claims after cancer diagnosis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify risk factors associated with the development of poor DS. Results: Among the survivors of CRC, 97% were 65 years or older. After a 9-year follow-up, 54% of survivors of CRC developed poor DS. Significant factors associated with future poor DS included: age at diagnosis (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.50 for >80 years old), female sex (HR = 1.50), race/ethnicity (HR = 1.34 for Hispanic and 1.21 for Black), stage at diagnosis (HR = 2.26 for distant metastasis), comorbidity index (HR = 2.18 for >1), and radiation therapy (HR = 1.21). Having cancer (HR = 1.07) was significantly associated with developing poor DS in the pooled cohorts; age and race/ethnicity were also significant factors. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that a CRC diagnosis is independently associated with a small increase in the risk of developing poor DS after accounting for other known factors. The study identified risk factors for developing poor DS in CRC survivors, including Hispanic and Black race/ethnicity, age, sex, histologic stage, and comorbidities. These findings underscore the importance of consistent physical function assessments, particularly among subsets of older survivors of CRC who are at higher risk of disability, to prevent developing poor DS.

Transitioning from active treatment: colorectal cancer survivors' health promotion goals.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the post-treatment goals of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. We sought to determine whether goals were a salient concept during the period immediately following treatment, and whether a goal-setting intervention might be feasible and acceptable to these patients. METHOD: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were administered to a convenience sample of 41 CRC patients who were 0-24 months post-treatment. Topics discussed included expectations and goals for future health, cancer prevention awareness, health-promoting behavior-change goals, and post-treatment cancer issues. Content analysis was used to explore emergent themes. RESULTS: Overall, participants' health-related goals were: being healthy, getting back to normal, and not having a cancer recurrence. Most of the CRC survivors reported being proactive with their health by maintaining healthy behaviors or making healthy behavior changes, or had goals to change their behavior. All respondents had plans to maintain follow-up care and regular screening appointments. Some patients were managing treatment side effects or non-cancer issues that limited their functional abilities. Many respondents were satisfied with the care they received, and felt it was now their responsibility to do their part in taking care of themselves. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: CRC survivors talk about goals, and many of them are either making or have an interest in making health behavior changes. Self-management support could be an appropriate strategy to assist patients with achieving their health goals post-treatment. Patients may need help addressing lingering treatment side effects or non-cancer issues. Healthcare providers should consider assessing patients' goals to help patients resolve post-treatment issues and promote healthy behaviors.