Finding the Optimal Exercise Dose While Living With Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Exercise Science
• Patient Self-Management

Background:

• Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a common and debilitating symptom for breast cancer survivors (SBCs).
• Effective management of CRF is crucial for improving quality of life and functional recovery after cancer treatment.
• Self-monitoring and adjusting exercise is a potential strategy for managing CRF, but optimal approaches are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how SBCs with CRF self-monitor and manage their exercise dose in daily life.
• To understand the process by which SBCs identify an optimal exercise dose to manage CRF.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive phenomenologic method utilizing one-on-one semistructured interviews.
• 11 SBCs with CRF who engaged in regular exercise were recruited from a major urban hospital.
• Inductive data analysis was performed to identify emergent themes.

Main Results:

• Survivors identified themes of examining exercise impact, finding an optimal dose, and maintaining flexibility.
• Participants used a trial-and-error approach to determine exercise dose, observing effects on daily life.
• The perception of an optimal exercise dose was dynamic and context-dependent, involving a nonlinear self-management process.

Conclusions:

• SBCs with CRF perceive optimal exercise dose as dynamic and context-dependent.
• Flexible, adaptive strategies are employed by survivors to self-manage exercise and mitigate CRF.
• Nurses can support SBCs by guiding them in developing efficient, flexible exercise self-management strategies to address CRF.