A recently published study in JAMA Network Open investigates the decline in physical health among breast cancer (BC) survivors who received chemotherapy or endocrine therapy compared to age-matched women without cancer.
Key Findings:
- Overall Decline: BC survivors experienced a greater decline in physical health than women without cancer, particularly within the first two years after diagnosis.
- Chemotherapy Impact: Patients who received chemotherapy (alone or with endocrine therapy) showed the most significant and long-lasting physical health decline.
- Endocrine Therapy Impact: Women who received endocrine therapy (especially aromatase inhibitors) had some initial physical health decline but returned to similar health levels as cancer-free women after two years.
- Long-Term Effects: Beyond two years post-diagnosis, a significant decline was observed only in those who had undergone chemotherapy.
- Factors Contributing to Decline: Increased fatigue and reduced ability to perform daily activities were major contributors to physical health deterioration, especially in chemotherapy recipients.
In conclusion, breast cancer survivors who underwent chemotherapy experienced a long-term decline in physical health, while those who received only endocrine therapy saw more transient effects. The study suggests the need for targeted interventions to manage post-treatment physical health deterioration in BC survivors.
This study supports the importance of breast cancer patients being enrolled in Exercise Oncology Programs during their active treatment. There is extensive scientific data that clearly demonstrates that the side effects from chemotherapy or endocrine therapy can be mitigated by patients actively exercising, in either organized on-site or virtual programs. Once starting such exercise programs, breast cancer patients need to continue actively exercising into long-term survivorship to help lower recurrence rates, lower all-cause mortality, and improve overall survival.
JAMA Network Open. 2025;8(2):e2462365. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.62365
