Acute effects of aerobic exercise and relaxation training on fatigue in breast cancer survivors: A feasibility trial

Objective This three-armed randomized controlled feasibility trial tested the acceptability and acute effects of aerobic exercise and technology-guided mindfulness training (relative to standalone interventions) on cancer-related fatigue among breast cancer survivors (BCS). Methods BCS recruited from Central Illinois completed pre- and post-testing using established measures and were randomized to one of three groups (combined aerobic exercise with guided-mindfulness relaxation, aerobic exercise only, and relaxation only), conducted in three 90 min sessions over the course of 7 days in a fitness room and research office on a university campus. Results We enrolled 40 BCS (M-age= 57.33 +/- 8.75),M-BMI= 27.38 +/- 5.27,M-fatigue= 4.56 +/- 1.81 as measured by the Piper Fatigue Scale. More favorable post-intervention evaluations were reported by the combined group, compared to aerobic exercise or relaxation only (p< 0.05). Reductions in fatigue favoring the combined group (p= 0.05) showed a modest effect size (Cohen'sd= 0.91) compared to aerobic exercise only. Conclusions These findings provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility of combining evidence-based techniques to address fatigue among BCS. The combined approach, incorporating mobile health technology, presents an efficacious and well-received design. If replicated in longer trials, the approach could provide a promising opportunity to deliver broad-reaching interventions for improved outcomes in BCS. Preregistered-ClinicalTrials NCT03702712