Slow Jogging for Breast Cancer Survivors

Background Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide. Althoughadvances in cancer treatment have substantially improved survival rates, many breastcancer survivors continue to experience persistent sleep disturbance, cancer‐relatedfatigue, and impaired health‐related quality of life after completing primary treatment.Exercise is recognized as an important component of cancer survivorship care; however,evidence regarding the effectiveness of slow jogging for improving these outcomes amongbreast cancer survivors remains limited. Slow jogging is a low‐impact aerobic exerciseperformed at a comfortable pace and is considered safe and feasible for individuals withdifferent levels of physical fitness. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of astructured slow jogging exercise program in improving sleep quality, reducingcancer‐related fatigue, and enhancing health‐related quality of life among breast cancersurvivors.Study DesignThis is an investigator‐initiated, single‐center, parallel‐group randomized controlledtrial conducted at Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.Eligible participants are women aged 20 years or older with histologically confirmedhormone receptor‐positive breast cancer (Stage I‐IV) who have completed primary cancertreatment (surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy) within the previous 12 months.Participants receiving ongoing anti‐human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)targeted therapy and/or endocrine therapy are eligible. Additional eligibility criteriainclude the ability to independently operate a smartphone, willingness to use the studyLINE official account, and self‐reported sleep disturbance within the previous two weeks,defined as a Single‐item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) score of 6 or higher.Participants will be randomly assigned to either the slow jogging intervention group orthe usual care control group using permuted block randomization (block size = 6) withallocation concealment to ensure balanced group assignment throughout participantenrollment.Intervention Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive a standardized12‐week slow jogging exercise program in addition to usual care. Before beginning theintervention, participants will receive face‐to‐face exercise instruction, an educationalmanual, demonstration videos, and standardized training to ensure correct performance ofthe exercise program. Participants will record each exercise session using exercise logsand receive regular reminders and follow‐up through the official LINE account to enhanceadherence.Participants will perform slow jogging at least three times per week, with each exercisesession lasting approximately 36 minutes, according to the prescribed exercise protocolthroughout the 12‐week intervention period.Participants assigned to the control group will receive routine survivorship care,including standard health education and sleep education provided by the hospital, withoutparticipation in the structured slow jogging exercise program during the study period.After completion of the study, participants in the control group will receive the slowjogging educational materials.Outcome Measures The primary outcome is the change in the Chinese Pittsburgh SleepQuality Index (CPSQI) global score. Secondary outcomes include the change in theTaiwanese Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI‐T) total score and the change in the FunctionalAssessment of Cancer Therapy‐Breast (FACT‐B) total score. Outcome assessments will beconducted at baseline and at Weeks 4, 8, and 12.Significance This study is expected to provide high‐quality clinical evidence regardingthe effectiveness of slow jogging as a supportive care intervention for breast cancersurvivors. The findings may contribute to evidence‐based exercise recommendations andfacilitate the integration of structured exercise programs into routine breast cancersurvivorship care, thereby improving sleep quality, reducing cancer‐related fatigue, andenhancing health‐related quality of life