Detalhes do projeto
Description
Breast cancer (BC) is the most diagnosed cancer type in women worldwide (Giaquinto et al., 2022). Chemotherapy is an anticancer therapy that delays cancer growth or eradicates the tumor and prevents cancer cell multiplication, invasion, and metastasizing (Nygren, 2001; Kerr et al., 2022). However, its adverse effects impact women’s functional performance (Tong et al., 2020). In addition, tumor cells might develop resistance against chemotherapy, leading to treatment failure (Engle & Kumar, 2022).
Exercise is a safe and effective cancer co-therapy, improving patients’ functional performance and quality of life during treatments, possibly increasing treatment efficacy (Bland et al., 2019; Zhu et al., 2022). Exercise may modulate treatment response and improve patients’ chemotherapy tolerance (Bland et al., 2019). However, it remains unknown whether exercise contributes to increased chemotherapy completion rates (i.e., degree of reception of the planned treatment doses) (Bland et al., 2019; Mijwel et al., 2020). Moreover, despite exercise’s multiple benefits, cancer patients present low levels of adherence.
Home-based online exercise programs might be a feasible solution. Prior studies showed that home-based exercise programs have high adherence rates and can enhance functional performance and activity levels in women with BC (Ramos et al., 2023), counteracting commonly reported exercise barriers. They also allow more vulnerable participants (e.g., immune-deficient chemotherapy patients) to perform their exercise routines safely, away from external sources of contamination and stigma (Power et al., 2023). Also, previous research has suggested that a pleasant and sustainable exercise experience may be relevant to increase adherence in this population (Dinapoli et al., 2021; El Kheir & Ibrahim, 2019). Exercise intensity self-selection has been proposed as a promising strategy, contributing to increased enjoyment and adherence to exercise practice and sustained lifestyle changes (Ekkekakis, 2009). Still, it has never been tested in this population.
Furthermore, to maximize adherence to exercise programs and promote lifelong active lifestyles, exercise programs must be tailored to people’s preferences, perceived barriers, and facilitators, especially when dealing with potentially debilitated (physically and psychologically) women undergoing active chemotherapy treatment for BC (Gildea et al., 2023; Schleicher et al., 2023). Also, designing exercise programs that target a population’s specific needs is crucial to maintaining participants’ engagement and promoting long-term behavior changes (Power et al., 2023).
Studies investigating the effects of exercise interventions on chemotherapy completion rates as a primary outcome are still scarce (Bland et al., 2019) and, to our knowledge, no study has analyzed the effects of a structured, supervised, online home-based, self-selected intensity combined exercise program in women with BC.
The Home-Combo will be implemented to support women with BC undergoing neo-adjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy through an online structured and supervised home-based exercise program. This project aims to investigate the effects of a combined exercise intervention on chemotherapy completion rates (primary outcome) and functional performance, body composition, physical activity (PA), and quality of life (secondary outcomes). Also, a 3-month follow-up will assess short-term adherence to active behaviors post-intervention.
Regarding gender equality and diversity, in science, due to specific physiologic characteristics of the female gender, more research exists on males. With our project we will focus 100% on women and we intend to positively impact these women’s lives, by helping them to tackle the disease. Also, by performing an online exercise intervention, involving no cost for the articipants (e.g., transport to the training facilities, monthly fee), we will allow all women with BC (e.g., diferente ethnicity, socio-economic status) to be part of our program, while preparing them physically and mentally for the upcoming treatments, thus incorporating the diversity issue. Also, international statistics found that throughout their career, on average, male scientists publish 13.2 papers while female scientists publish 9.6, a 27% gap in publishing activity, also, it seems that men receive 30% more citations than women. Besides the individual merit and background alignment with the topic of this proposal, the Home-COMBO team is balanced in terms of gender distribution, with 8 women and 7 men, thus with the aim of providing equal opportunities for both genders to participate and generate scientific outputs from this project.
Exercise is a safe and effective cancer co-therapy, improving patients’ functional performance and quality of life during treatments, possibly increasing treatment efficacy (Bland et al., 2019; Zhu et al., 2022). Exercise may modulate treatment response and improve patients’ chemotherapy tolerance (Bland et al., 2019). However, it remains unknown whether exercise contributes to increased chemotherapy completion rates (i.e., degree of reception of the planned treatment doses) (Bland et al., 2019; Mijwel et al., 2020). Moreover, despite exercise’s multiple benefits, cancer patients present low levels of adherence.
Home-based online exercise programs might be a feasible solution. Prior studies showed that home-based exercise programs have high adherence rates and can enhance functional performance and activity levels in women with BC (Ramos et al., 2023), counteracting commonly reported exercise barriers. They also allow more vulnerable participants (e.g., immune-deficient chemotherapy patients) to perform their exercise routines safely, away from external sources of contamination and stigma (Power et al., 2023). Also, previous research has suggested that a pleasant and sustainable exercise experience may be relevant to increase adherence in this population (Dinapoli et al., 2021; El Kheir & Ibrahim, 2019). Exercise intensity self-selection has been proposed as a promising strategy, contributing to increased enjoyment and adherence to exercise practice and sustained lifestyle changes (Ekkekakis, 2009). Still, it has never been tested in this population.
Furthermore, to maximize adherence to exercise programs and promote lifelong active lifestyles, exercise programs must be tailored to people’s preferences, perceived barriers, and facilitators, especially when dealing with potentially debilitated (physically and psychologically) women undergoing active chemotherapy treatment for BC (Gildea et al., 2023; Schleicher et al., 2023). Also, designing exercise programs that target a population’s specific needs is crucial to maintaining participants’ engagement and promoting long-term behavior changes (Power et al., 2023).
Studies investigating the effects of exercise interventions on chemotherapy completion rates as a primary outcome are still scarce (Bland et al., 2019) and, to our knowledge, no study has analyzed the effects of a structured, supervised, online home-based, self-selected intensity combined exercise program in women with BC.
The Home-Combo will be implemented to support women with BC undergoing neo-adjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy through an online structured and supervised home-based exercise program. This project aims to investigate the effects of a combined exercise intervention on chemotherapy completion rates (primary outcome) and functional performance, body composition, physical activity (PA), and quality of life (secondary outcomes). Also, a 3-month follow-up will assess short-term adherence to active behaviors post-intervention.
Regarding gender equality and diversity, in science, due to specific physiologic characteristics of the female gender, more research exists on males. With our project we will focus 100% on women and we intend to positively impact these women’s lives, by helping them to tackle the disease. Also, by performing an online exercise intervention, involving no cost for the articipants (e.g., transport to the training facilities, monthly fee), we will allow all women with BC (e.g., diferente ethnicity, socio-economic status) to be part of our program, while preparing them physically and mentally for the upcoming treatments, thus incorporating the diversity issue. Also, international statistics found that throughout their career, on average, male scientists publish 13.2 papers while female scientists publish 9.6, a 27% gap in publishing activity, also, it seems that men receive 30% more citations than women. Besides the individual merit and background alignment with the topic of this proposal, the Home-COMBO team is balanced in terms of gender distribution, with 8 women and 7 men, thus with the aim of providing equal opportunities for both genders to participate and generate scientific outputs from this project.
| Acrónimo | Home-COMBO |
|---|---|
| Estado | Ativo |
| Data de início/fim efetiva | 1/09/24 → 1/09/26 |
Impressão digital
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