Breast Cancer Grand Round with Dr Eva Zopf

Supervised exercise improves fatigue, health-related quality of life, and other clinically relevant outcomes in patients

21 Feb 2024

Evidence suggests that exercise has a significant therapeutic effect in the management of metastatic breast cancer. Join Dr Zopf as she shares a study demonstrating that supervised exercise improves fatigue, health-related quality of life, and other clinically relevant outcomes in patients.

Exercise has been proven safe and effective for patients with breast cancer in the curative setting. However, evidence in patients with metastatic breast cancer is scarce. The aim of the PREFERABLE-EFFECT study (NCT04120298) was to evaluate the effects of a structured exercise program on fatigue, health-related quality of life, and other cancer- and treatment-related side effects in patients with metastatic breast cancer.
 
The randomised controlled trial included 357 patients with metastatic breast cancer from five European countries and Australia. Participants were randomly assigned to usual care or a 9-month supervised and individualised exercise program. Results from this large multinational study demonstrate that supervised exercise improves fatigue, health-related quality of life, and other clinically relevant outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer and should be recommended.

The VCCC Alliance Breast Cancer Grand Round is targeted at a clinical audience and features open discussion about real cases and patients. While these cases are de-identified, the imagery, content and discussion can be graphic. It is not appropriate for consumer participants.

Chair:

Prof Prudence Francis
Professor Department of Oncology, Clinical Lead Breast Medical Oncology at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre