ADHERENCE TO PRESCRIBED EXERCISE DOSE IN CANCER SURVIVORS AND THEIR PARTNERS

O. Lumbad, C. Boisvert, K. Daniel, S. Stoyles, K. Winters-Stone, FACSM Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon New ACSM guidelines recommend the integration of exercise as an evidence-based strategy to offset the adverse effects of cancer treatments on quality of life into standard care. The exercise prescriptions were derived from trial method reports which may not reflect the actual dose of exercise in relation to study outcomes. It is possible, therefore that the dose of exercise necessary to evoke a particular benefit may differ from published recommendations. PURPOSE: To report exercise adherence by comparing the prescribed exercise dose to the achieved dose of exercise in an ongoing exercise trial in cancer survivors and their partners. METHODS: Data from 25 participants enrolled the EXERCISING TOGETHER© trial (NCT03630354), including breast cancer survivors (n=13) and their partners (n=12) was used for this analysis. Participants competed strength training sessions twice weekly for 6 months in one of two study arms: partnered group or separate survivor/spouse group exercise. We examined the prescribed volume for two exercises, chair stands and step-ups, and compared to self-reported volume, collected in participant exercise logs. Prescribed training volume and received training volume was calculated (sets x repetitions x load in kg). Here, we report adherence of prescribed training volume and received training volume in the overall sample as well as adherence based on role (survivor/spouse), and study arm. Comparisons between role and study arm were completed using two sample t-tests. RESULTS: Within person adherence to prescribed dose averaged 72.6% of classes for chair stand and 70.5% of classes for step ups. There was not a significant difference in adherence between survivors and partners. Stratified analysis suggests survivor adherence improves and partner adherence decreases when in class with together, but the study was underpowered to see significant differences between study arms. CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggest that breast cancer survivors may benefit when partners are involved in exercise, but that, in turn, may reduce the partners own benefit from exercise. Future analysis can examine achieved dose of exercise in relation to participant benefits to determine the full implications of these observations