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Physical inactivity has been postulated as mediator of the relationship between cancer-related symptoms and psychoneurobiological alterations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of physical inactivity level on mood state, fitness level as well as on salivary markers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (cortisol) and the SNS (α-amylase) in breast cancer survivors. One hundred and eight breast cancer survivors (stages I- IIIa) participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were gathered on the following: Minnesota Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, profile of mood state, 6-min walk test, force handgrip, blood pressure, salivary cortisol concentration and salivary α-amylase activity. For our analysis, two groups were formed based on physical activity level measured as energy expenditure during diary leisure activities of the participants at the moment of the study, a physical inactivity level group (<3 METs × h/week) and an adequate physical activity level group (>3 METs × h/week). Fitness level was significantly higher in the active than the inactive group, while anger, fatigue, depression, confusion, mood disturbance, diastolic blood pressure and salivary α-amylase activity were significantly greater in the inactive than the active group. These results suggest that physical inactivity induces a worse psychoneurobiological state in inactive than in active breast cancer survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which aims to evaluate the impact of aquatic exercise with hormone therapy-associated arthralgia on pressure pain threshold in breast cancer patients. The hydrotherapy programme resulted in decrease in pressure pain threshold in primary outcomes compared to the secondary outcomes. It therefore highlighted that hydrotherapy in a chest-high pool reduced the pain threshold considerably with corresponding decrease in waist circumference in patients.

FERNÁNDEZ-LAO C., CANTARERO-VILLANUEVA I., DÍAZ-RODRÍGUEZ L., CUESTA-VARGAS A.I., FERNÁNDEZ-DELAS-PEÑAS C. & ARROYO-MORALES M. (2011) European Journal of Cancer Care 21, 233-241 Attitudes towards massage modify effects of manual therapy in breast cancer survivors: a randomised clinical trial with crossover design Our aims were to investigate the immediate effect of myofascial release on heart rate variability and mood state, and the influence of attitude towards massage in breast cancer survivors with cancer-related fatigue. Twenty breast cancer survivors reporting moderate to high cancer-related fatigue participated in this crossover study. All patients presented to the laboratory at the same time of the day on two occasions separated by a 2-week interval. At each session, they received either a massage intervention or control intervention. Holter electrocardiogram recordings and Profile of Mood States questionnaire (six domains: tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility, vigour, fatigue, confusion) were obtained before and immediately after each intervention. The attitude towards massage scale was collected before the first session in all breast cancer survivors. The results showed a significant session × time interaction for standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN) ( F= 5.063, P= 0.039), square root of mean squared differences of successive normal-to-normal intervals (RMSSD) ( F= 8.273, P= 0.010), high-frequency component (HF) ( F= 7.571, P= 0.013), but not for index heart rate variability ( F= 3.451, P= 0.080), low-frequency component (LF) ( F= 0.014, P= 0.997) and ratio LF/HF ( F= 3.680, P= 0.072): significant increases in SDNN, RMSSD and HF domain ( P < 0.05) were observed after the manual therapy intervention, with no changes after placebo ( P > 0.6). No influence of the attitude scale on heart rate variability results was found. A significant session × time interaction was also found for fatigue ( F= 5.101, P= 0.036) and disturbance of mood ( F= 6.690, P= 0.018) scales of the Profile of Mood States: patients showed a significant decrease in fatigue and disturbance of mood ( P < 0.001) after manual therapy, with no changes after placebo ( P > 0.50). A significant influence of the attitude scale was observed in tension-anxiety, depression-dejection and anger-hostility scales. This controlled trial suggests that massage leads to an immediate increase of heart rate variability and an improvement in mood inbreast cancer survivors with cancer-related fatigue. Further, the positive impact of massage on cancer-related fatigue is modulated by the attitude of the patient towards massage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CANTARERO-VILLANUEVA I., FERNÁNDEZ-LAO C., FERNÁNDEZ-DE-LAS-PEÑAS C., DÍAZ-RODRÍGUEZ L., SANCHEZ-CANTALEJO E. & ARROYO-MORALES M. (2011) European Journal of Cancer Care 20, 632-639 Associations among musculoskeletal impairments, depression, body image and fatigue in breast cancer survivors within the first year after treatment The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between pressure pain thresholds, shoulder movement, mood state, pain perception, muscle endurance, quality of life and fatigue in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Fifty-nine BCS reporting fatigue were examined at 6 months post-treatment. Women completed the Piper Fatigue Scale, the Breast Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Profile of Mood State, and neck-shoulder visual analogue scale. Additionally, shoulder flexion range of motion, the McQuade test (trunk flexor endurance) and pressure pain thresholds over the C5-C6 joint, the deltoid muscle, the second metacarpal and tibialis anterior muscle were assessed. Fatigue was greater in those patients with higher depression ( r= 0.45, P < 0.05), higher shoulder pain ( r= 0.39, P < 0.05), higher neck pain ( r= 0.46, P < 0.01), lower body image ( r=−0.34, P < 0.05) and reduced shoulder movement ( r=−0.32, P < 0.05). Regression analyses demonstrated that depression, cervical pain intensity, body image and shoulder mobility were associated with fatigue ( r= 0.55, P < 0.001). A psychological state characterised with higher depression and reduced body image and a physical impairment with higher cervical pain intensity and reduced shoulder mobility confirm multidimensional character of fatigue in BCS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]