Purpose: As survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) improves, their work situation is gaining importance. The aim of the current study was to identify factors associated with work status and quality of working life (QWL) in patients with MBC. Additionally, we investigated the effects of an exercise intervention on work status.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: This study aimed to investigate whether socio-demographic, clinical, and intervention-related variables moderate the effects of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms in cancer survivors.
Methods: Data from 26 RCTs in the POLARIS database were analyzed using a one-step individual participant data (IPD) meta-analytic approach with linear mixed models to assess exercise effects on depression and anxiety symptoms (z-scores). Interaction terms were added to these models to explore moderators.
The development of the first European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Group (QLG) health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaires contributed to the systematic uptake of HRQoL as an endpoint in cancer clinical trials, and to the measurement of HRQoL for individual assessment in routine care. Following a modular approach, these patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures (PROMs) ensure that both generic and disease-specific issues are assessed, enabling comparison of PROs across groups and studies. The application of a comprehensive and continually refined methodology for developing and updating these PROMs has been crucial in supporting their psychometric and cross-cultural validity, and their continued implementation in clinical research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Cancer
August 2025
The understanding and treatment of sexual health problems, impaired body image, and other non-life threatening but burdensome symptoms of women with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) is still insufficient. We studied the factors associated with such symptoms and investigated whether these problems could be alleviated by a structured exercise intervention. In the multinational PREFERABLE-EFFECT study, 355 women with mBC were randomly assigned to usual care (n = 178) or a 9-month supervised exercise program (n = 177).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The EORTC QLQ-BR23, published in 1996, was one of the first disease-specific questionnaires to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with breast cancer (BC). In the last decades, major changes in BC treatment have occurred, requiring an update of this module. The results of the Phase 1-3 of the study were published in 2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate the cost utility of a 9-month supervised exercise program for patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC), compared with control (usual care, supplemented with general activity advice and an activity tracker). Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of exercise for patients with mBC is essential for implementation in clinical practice and is currently lacking.
Methods: A cost-utility analysis was performed alongside the multinational PREFERABLE-EFFECT randomized controlled trial, conducted in 8 centers across Europe and Australia.
Purpose: We aimed to identify metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients' preferences for exercise programs and identify patients' characteristics associated with these preferences, to facilitate implementation of exercise programs for MBC patients.
Methods: We used data from a multinational cross-sectional survey conducted among MBC patients. Patients reported their preferred exercise frequency, intensity, type, session duration, and supervision mode.
JAMA Netw Open
August 2024
Importance: Online symptom monitoring through patient-reported outcomes can enhance health-related quality of life and survival. However, widespread adoption in clinical care remains limited due to various barriers including the need to reduce health care practitioners' workload.
Objective: To report the effects of patient-reported outcome (PRO) symptom monitoring on HRQOL and survival up to 1 year after initiation of any treatment in patients with lung cancer.
Purpose: Numerous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown beneficial exercise effects on fatigue, anxiety and depression and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer (BC) patients during and shortly after treatment. Here, we investigated the long-term effects of exercise during chemotherapy for BC on these outcomes.
Methods: We invited participants of two highly comparable RCTs that investigated the effects of exercise (EX) (versus usual care (UC)) during chemotherapy in patients with non-metastatic BC (N = 357) to participate in an 8-year follow-up.
Physical exercise both during and after curative cancer treatment has been shown to reduce side effects. Evidence in the metastatic cancer setting is scarce, and interventions that improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are much needed for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The multinational randomized controlled PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial assessed the effects of exercise on fatigue and HRQOL in patients with MBC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To report the long-term outcomes from a longitudinal psychosocial study that forms part of the 'Identification of Men with a genetic predisposition to ProstAte Cancer: Targeted Screening in men at higher genetic risk and controls' (IMPACT) study. The IMPACT study is a multi-national study of targeted prostate cancer (PrCa) screening in individuals with a known germline pathogenic variant (GPV) in either the BReast CAncer gene 1 (BRCA1) or the BReast CAncer gene 2 (BRCA2).
Subjects And Methods: Participants enrolled in the IMPACT study were invited to complete a psychosocial questionnaire prior to each annual screening visit for a minimum of 5 years.
Scand J Med Sci Sports
February 2024
Introduction: The number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of exercise among cancer survivors has increased in recent years; however, participants dropping out of the trials are rarely described. The objective of the present study was to assess which combinations of participant and exercise program characteristics were associated with dropout from the exercise arms of RCTs among cancer survivors.
Methods: This study used data collected in the Predicting OptimaL cAncer RehabIlitation and Supportive care (POLARIS) study, an international database of RCTs investigating the effects of exercise among cancer survivors.
Purpose: Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) following chemotherapy is commonly reported in breast cancer survivors, even years after treatment. Data from preclinical studies suggest that exercise during chemotherapy may prevent or diminish cognitive problems; however, clinical data are scarce.
Methods: This is a pragmatic follow-up study of two original randomized trials, which compares breast cancer patients randomized to exercise during chemotherapy to non-exercise controls 8.
Background: To successfully implement exercise programs for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), services and patient education should consider patients' knowledge, preferences, values, and goals. Hence, gaining insight into their perspectives on exercise and exercise programming is important.
Method: In this cross-sectional survey, we recruited patients with MBC from the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.
Objective: Animal data suggest that exercise during chemotherapy is cardioprotective, but clinical evidence to support this is limited. This study evaluated the effect of exercise during chemotherapy for breast cancer on long-term cardiovascular toxicity.
Methods: This is a follow-up study of two previously performed randomised trials in patients with breast cancer allocated to exercise during chemotherapy or non-exercise controls.
Lancet Oncol
October 2023
Objectives: To apply the estimand framework in time to deterioration (TTD) analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and identify the appropriate statistical methods to deal with intercurrent event (IEs) such as death.
Study Design And Setting: Data from phase II randomized trial were used. We estimated TTD using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-C30 questionnaire with death as the IE, by applying Kaplan-Meier (K.
Background: Previous studies using patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) to monitor symptoms during and after (lung) cancer treatment used alerts that were sent to the health-care provider, although an approach in which patients receive alerts could be more clinically feasible. The primary aim of this study was to compare the effect of weekly PROM symptom monitoring via a reactive approach (patient receives alert) or active approach (health-care provider receives alert) with care as usual on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at 15 weeks after start of treatment in lung cancer patients.
Methods: The SYMPRO-Lung trial is a multicenter randomized controlled trial using a stepped wedge design.
Objectives: Adaptive designs may reduce trial sample sizes and costs. This study illustrates a Bayesian-adaptive decision-theoretic design applied to a multiarm exercise oncology trial.
Study Design And Setting: In the Physical exercise during Adjuvant Chemotherapy Effectiveness Study (PACES) trial, 230 breast cancer patients receiving chemotherapy were randomized to supervised resistance and aerobic exercise (OnTrack), home-based physical activity (OncoMove) or usual care (UC).
Objective: The current research examined the effect of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) on perceived intimacy, affect, and dyadic connection in cancer survivor couples with relationship challenges.
Method: In this longitudinal replicated single-case study, positive and negative affect, intimacy, partner responsiveness, and expression of attachment-based emotional needs were reported every 3 days before and during treatment. Thirteen couples, with one partner having survived colorectal cancer or breast cancer, participated for the full duration of the study.
Purpose: This individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) assesses exercise effects on self-reported cognitive functioning (CF) and investigates whether effects differ by patient-, intervention-, and exercise-related characteristics.
Methods: IPD from 16 exercise RCTs, including 1987 patients across multiple types of non-metastatic cancer, was pooled. A one-stage IPD-MA using linear mixed-effect models was performed to assess exercise effects on self-reported CF (z-score) and to identify whether the effect was moderated by sociodemographic, clinical, intervention- and exercise-related characteristics, or fatigue, depression, anxiety, and self-reported CF levels at start of the intervention (i.
Purpose: Supervised exercise is a potentially promising supportive care intervention for people with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), but research on the patients' perspective is limited. The aim of the current focus group study was to gain an in-depth understanding of MBC patients' perceived barriers, facilitators, and preferences for supervised exercise programs.
Methods: Eleven online focus groups with, in total, 44 MBC patients were conducted in four European countries (Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden).
Purpose: To support the development and implementation of exercise programming for people with prostate cancer (PC), we investigated their views on exercise.
Methods: Online survey with open recruitment. We collected data on clinical and sociodemographic variables, experiences with exercise advice, outcome expectations, and preferences.
Background: As a local treatment for prostate cancer (PCa), robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) may have a quality of life (QoL) benefit over open surgery. Recent analyses revealed substantial between-country differences in the function and symptom scale scores for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), which is typically used to assess patient-reported QoL. Such differences could have implications for multinational studies in PCa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVocal learning occurs in three clades of birds: hummingbirds, parrots, and songbirds. Examining vocal communication within the Falconiformes (sister taxon to the parrot/songbird clade) may offer information in understanding the evolution of vocal learning. Falcons are considered non-vocal learners and variation in vocalization may only be the result of variation in anatomical structure, with size as the major factor.
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