Trial Information

Physical Activity Promotion In Cancer Follow-up Care

Background: With improved survival rates, there are growing numbers of cancer survivors.
These individuals report impaired physical functioning, anxiety and depressed mood, fatigue,
and reduced quality of life after treatment. In addition, they may be at increased risk for
cardiovascular disease, obesity, osteoporosis and future cancers. Prior research has
demonstrated that moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) can improve enhance physical
functioning, reduce fatigue and improve vigor among cancer patients and those who have
completed medical treatments. These efforts have not been integrated with the healthcare
system. Data support the role of primary care providers in promoting PA among their
sedentary patients; the role of oncologists in encouraging patients to become physically
active has not been examined.

Objectives: This study aims at testing the efficacy of a PA intervention in an outpatient
oncology setting. We plan to compare Brief Advice for PA (MD advice plus contact control)
vs. Extended Advice (MD advice plus telephone-based PA counseling by research staff) over 3
months among 300 women who have completed treatment for breast cancer in the past 2 years.

Specific Aims: The primary aim is to examine the effects of oncologists' advice on PA plus
telephone counseling (Extended Advice) vs. oncologists' advice (Brief Advice) alone on
minutes of moderate-intensity PA at 3 months among 300 sedentary women who have completed
treatment for breast cancer.

Secondary aims include examining a) the effects of the two interventions on participants'
moderate-intensity PA at 6 and 12 months, b) the effects of the interventions on
participants' physical functioning, fatigue, vigor and quality of life (QOL) at 3, 6 and 12
months, and c) the acceptability of the interventions to the oncologists and the usefulness
of the interventions to patients.

Study Design: A randomized, controlled trial will be conducted in outpatient oncology
practices in Rhode Island. Within this setting, the oncologists and research staff will
offer a 3 month, theoretically-based intervention to increase moderate-intensity PA among
300 sedentary women aged 18 and older who attend cancer follow-up visits. The unit of
randomization will be at the patient level.

Cancer Relevance: If the data are promising, the study lays the groundwork for improving
cancer recovery by integrating a brief PA intervention into follow-up care for cancer
survivors. This study offers the potential to improve the follow-up care for cancer
survivors by encouraging them to becoming physically active, to help reduce the emotional
and physical side-effects of cancer and its treatment, as well as possibly reduce their risk
for other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.