Exercise ‘boosts breast cancer patient wellbeing’

Regular group exercise sessions can significantly improve the quality of life for breast cancer sufferers, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Strathclyde claim that many rehabilitation programmes are failing to make an impact after basing themselves solely on psychotherapy or social support.

Publishing their findings in the British Medical Journal, they write that a group of 100 women undergoing cancer treatment who agreed to participate in three exercise sessions a week saw vast improvements to their depression levels, quality of life, mood, shoulder mobility and walking distances.

A control group of another 100 breast cancer patients who did not join the group exercise sessions was also analysed after the 12-week course was completed, and then again six months later.

The researchers in Scotland found that the women who had attended two group exercise sessions a week and one personal session at home had made less visits to their GPs and spent fewer nights in hospital.

“Supervised group exercise in addition to usual care for women receiving treatment for early stage breast cancer provided functional and psychological benefit at the end of a 12-week programme and at the six-month follow-up,” the report authors conclude.