Date of Award
January 2012
Document Type
Open Access Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Public Health (MPH)
Department
School of Public Health
First Advisor
Melinda Irwin
Abstract
Purpose: We conducted a randomized controlled trial of 39 breast cancer survivors who were currently taking aromatase inhibitors and experiencing painful side effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a 6-month exercise intervention on (1) endocrine-related quality of life and (2) overall quality of life. Methods: Eligible women completed self-administered questionnaires at baseline and 6 months including the FACT-B +ES to assess quality of life. The participants were randomized to either an exercise intervention group that met twice weekly with a personal trainer or usual care. T-tests and ÷2 analyses were used to assess differences in endocrine-related quality of life over the 6-month intervention period as well as overall quality of life. The subscales of the FACT-B were examined independently using t-tests. Results: The average baseline endocrine-related QOL score was 56.2 for all participants in the study. The average score did not differ by treatment group (p=0.81). Mean 6-month changes from baseline for exercisers for the full QOL endocrine subscale was +3.3 compared to usual care (+1.8). The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p=0.32). A significant difference between the exercisers and usual care group for favorable changes in joint pain was observed (p-value = 0.014). A moderately significant effect was also seen for favorable changes on bloating in exercisers as compared to the usual care group (p-value = 0.055). Conclusion: In this study, aerobic exercise, such as treadmill walking, and strength training were associated with increases in endocrine-related quality of life. In particular, the intervention was associated with significant decreases in joint pain. These results are encouraging for post-menopausal women who are recommended to take AIs to improve their prognosis.
Recommended Citation
Baglia, Michelle, "Exercise, Aromatase Inhibitors, Quality Of Life, And Breast Cancer" (2012). Public Health Theses. 1016.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysphtdl/1016
Comments
This is an Open Access Thesis.