Cancer Fatigue Lessened with Exercise

ATLANTA, June 7 (UPI) -- In a pilot study, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers find individuals with breast or prostate cancer who exercised had less fatigue.

Principal investigator Karen Mustian found that the participants were enthusiastic and adhered well to the exercise program, even though they were older -- average age was 60 -- half of them had received chemotherapy and 84 percent had already had surgery. Ninety-five percent completed the prescribed exercise routine.

All of the patients were prescribed at least 30 radiation treatments, scheduled for five days a week during six weeks.

The exercise program required the patients to take daily walks and to try and increase the total number of steps walked each day and complete 11 resistance band exercises daily, performing one set of eight to 15 repetitions daily and gradually increasing to three or four sets.

The moderate physical activity resulted in the exercisers being able to maintain their strength during radiation, improve aerobic capacity and be less fatigued, Mustian said.

Mustian presented the results at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 2006 annual meeting in Atlanta.