1. Effect of physical exercise on cognitive function after chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer: A randomized controlled trial (PAM study)
- Author
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Miranda J. Velthuis, Anne Maria May, Mirjam I. Geerlings, Lenja Witlox, Jan J. Jobsen, Gabe S. Sonke, Michiel B. de Ruiter, Martijn M. Stuiver, Job van der Palen, Evelyn M. Monninkhof, Emmie W Koevoets, Elsken van der Wall, and Sanne B. Schagen
- Subjects
Cancer Research ,Chemotherapy ,medicine.medical_specialty ,business.industry ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Physical exercise ,Cognition ,medicine.disease ,law.invention ,Breast cancer ,Oncology ,Randomized controlled trial ,law ,Intervention (counseling) ,Cognitive problems ,medicine ,Physical therapy ,In patient ,business - Abstract
12015 Background: Chemotherapy is associated with cognitive problems. Physical exercise is a promising intervention. We investigated whether exercise improves cognition in chemotherapy-exposed breast cancer (BC) patients 2-4 years after diagnosis. Methods: In the PAM study, we randomized chemotherapy-exposed BC patients with self-reported and test-confirmed cognitive problems to an exercise or control group. The 6-month exercise intervention consisted of 2 hours of supervised aerobic and resistance training and two hours of Nordic/power walking. Memory function measured with the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) was our primary outcome. Further measurements included online neuropsychological tests (Amsterdam Cognition Scan; ACS), self-reported cognitive complaints (MDASI-MM, EORTC QLQ C-30 cognitive functioning), physical fitness (VO2peak), fatigue (MFI, EORTC fatigue), quality of life (QoL; EORTC), anxiety (HADS) and depression (HADS, PHQ9). HVLT-R total recall was analyzed with a Fisher exact test for clinically relevant improvement of ≥5 words. Other outcomes were analyzed using multiple regression analyses adjusted for baseline and stratification factors. An hypothesis driven but not pre-specified analysis in patients with high baseline EORTC fatigue levels (≥39) was performed. Results: We randomized 181 patients to the exercise (n = 91) or control group (n = 90). Two-third of the patients attended ≥ 80% of the exercise program and physical fitness significantly improved compared to the control patients ( VO2peak1.4 ml/min/kg, 95% CI 0.6; 2.2). No difference in favor of the intervention group was seen on the primary cognitive outcome or other cognitive tests. However, significant beneficial intervention effects were found for self-reported cognition (MDASI-MM Severity (-0.7, -1.2;-0.1)), fatigue (general fatigue (-2.2, -3.3; -1.1), physical fatigue (-3.3, -4.4; -2.2), mental fatigue (-1.0, -2.0; 0.0), reduced motivation (-1.1, -2.0; -0.2) and reduced activity (-2.1, -3.2; -1.1)), QoL (summary score (4.0, 1.2; 6.7), global health status (5.8, 1.1; 10.6), role functioning (7.2, 1.3; 13.1) and social functioning (5.9, 0.2; 11.6)) and depression (PHQ9 (-1.16, -2.19; -0.13)). In high-fatigued patients, exercise did show significant positive effects on objective cognitive function (ACS Reaction Time (-26.8, -52.9; -0.6) and ACS Wordlist Learning (4.4, 0.5; 8.3)). Conclusions: A 6-month exercise intervention did not improve objectively measured cognitive function in chemotherapy-exposed BC patients with cognitive problems. However, self-reported cognitive function, physical fitness, fatigue, QoL and depression did improve. Unplanned analysis indicated a small positive effect of exercise on cognitive functioning in high-fatigued patients. Clinical trial information: NTR6104.
- Published
- 2021