FIT FOR TREATMENT?
Research type
Research Study
Full title
FIT FOR TREATMENT? Health advice given to women with breast cancer
IRAS ID
264143
Contact name
Michael J Lewis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 30 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
Greater public awareness of breast cancer, combined with more effective screening and treatment, means that women now have a very high likelihood of surviving breast cancer. However, treatment for breast cancer can also be harmful to patients – and this goes beyond the short-term side-effects that most people associate with treatment (such as nausea, anaemia and infections). Some types of breast cancer treatment can in fact cause long-term or even permanent damage: it can damage the patient’s heart (so-called ‘cardiotoxicity’), reduce their physical ‘fitness’, alter their body composition and cause weight-gain, with only a small proportion of patients returning to their pre-diagnosis weight following therapy.
Although further evidence is required, such changes have in part been attributed to the type and duration of chemotherapy, as well as to reduced physical activity levels, with only a small proportion meeting physical activity guidelines for cancer survivors. We don’t know how many patients are affected by these side-effects because they are not routinely assessed. Nevertheless, even if the number of patients affected is low, we believe it is important that patients (and healthcare professionals) are provided with the best available information about the possible cardio-respiratory and physical fitness side-effects of treatment. Patients currently receive little (if any) information about these, and we plan to address this shortcoming in the proposed study.
The aim of the proposed study is therefore to survey women who have previously had breast cancer (but who have now completed primary treatment) to ask them 1) about their understanding of these possible side-effects, 2) about the information they received following diagnosis, and 3) about their views on the type of information and support they would like to have received. This information will allow us to propose a better, patient-centred information resource for breast cancer patients and health professionals.Summary of Results
This study aimed to learn about women’s understanding of the links between physical health and fitness and cancer treatment. The study also aimed to gain knowledge about their experiences of receiving information on this topic from health professionals following their diagnosis. The researchers interviewed women with, or who had had, breast cancer about their experiences of receiving information about their condition and its treatment, their awareness of how cancer treatment might influence their physical fitness during and following treatment. Interviews also sought to gain their advice about the types of information and support they would like to have received about their cancer, its treatment and the possible wider implications of treatment. Using the results from the interviews, the research team developed a questionnaire to assess these issues from wider samples. The questionnaire was completed by a small sample of women (17) who had been diagnosed with breast cancer.Breast cancer patients might benefit from expert advice about making healthy lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and healthy eating, which could help with managing treatment side-effects. They also recommended more follow-up support from health professionals after their treatment and access to some free non-medical therapies (e.g., swimming).
We anticipate that the findings can be used to develop resources to support patients to make lifestyle changes, such as increasing their exercise and improving their nutrition. These findings can be used to develop a patient information and support resource, co-produced with patients, to be distributed to patients by breast care nurses.
REC name
North East - Newcastle & North Tyneside 2 Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NE/0256
Date of REC Opinion
7 Aug 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion