Improved awareness of physical activities is associated with a gain of fitness and a stable body weight in breast cancer patients during the first year of antineoplastic therapy: the BEGYN-1 study.

Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer in women. Reduced physical activity and overweight are associated with poor prognosis. Breast cancer patients have a high risk to gain weight, lose muscle mass and reduce physical activity during therapy. Concepts are urgently needed to motivate patients to engage in physical activity.
Methods: 110 non-metastatic breast cancer patients were included in the prospective observational BEGYN-1 study. Physiological parameters and body composition were measured before the start of therapy and then quarterly for one year. Patients used a fitness tracker and documented their physical activity in a diary throughout the study.
Results: Although the patients were not offered any guided exercise, and despite the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, they increased their physical activity (metabolic equivalent of task (MET) -minutes): p<0.001), physical fitness (decreasing resting heart rate: p=0.001) and did not gain weight (median - 0.4kg) over the course of the study.
Conclusion: Improved awareness of physical activity is associated with an increase in physical activity, fitness, and a stable weight during the first year of therapy in breast cancer patients. Counselling at diagnosis should motivate patients to engage in physical activity, wear a fitness tracker and document activities.
Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
(Copyright © 2023 Zemlin, Schleicher, Altmayer, Stuhlert, Wörmann, Lang, Scherer, Thul, Spenner, Simon, Wind, Kaiser, Weber, Goedicke-Fritz, Wagenpfeil, Zemlin, Steffgen, Solomayer and Müller.)