Exercise and Education Program After Breast Cancer: Benefits on Quality of Life and Symptoms at 3, 6, 12, and 24 Months' Follow-up

BACKGROUND: Various clinical trials show benefits of physical training offered during and / or after breast cancer treatments. However, given the variety of side effects that may be encountered, physical training could be combined with psychological, relational and social guidance. This kind of multidisciplinary program, just like their long-term effects, have been little studied so far. Therefore, the objective of our study is to determine the benefits at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of a three-month exercise and education program among women after breast cancer treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and nine outpatients who have been treated for a primary breast carcinoma were divided into a control group (n=106) and an experimental group (n=103) which has benefited from a three-month rehabilitation program including physical training and psycho-educational sessions. The assessments, performed before the program and at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after inclusion, included validated questionnaires on quality of life and symptoms. RESULTS: The analyses show an improvement in quality of life and symptoms following the exercise and education program within the experimental group and a maintenance of these improvements during the two years of follow-up. These improvements are significantly superior to those presented in the control group, demonstrating the programs benefits. CONCLUSIONS: This trial identifies the benefits of a well detailed three-month exercise and education program over a follow-up of 24 months among women after breast cancer treatment