Effects of Different Exercise Modalities on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Breast Cancer Patients

To investigate effects of different exercise modalities on chemotherapy‑induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and quality of life in breast cancer patients, and identify the optimal exercise rehabilitation protocol.

This study is a single-center randomized controlled trial.

This randomized controlled trial enrolled 68 breast cancer patients with CIPN, randomly assigning them to a control group, aerobic exercise group, resistance training group, and combined exercise group for an 8-week intervention. Outcomes included foot vibration perception, lower limb muscle strength, and quality of life.

After 8 weeks of intervention, both aerobic exercise and resistance training significantly improved CIPN symptoms (p < .05). Regarding lower limb muscle strength, resistance training and combined exercise significantly outperformed the control group and aerobic exercise group (p < .05). Regarding quality of life, combined exercise outperformed other groups (p < .05). All exercise interventions demonstrated superiority over the control group in emotional function and insomnia (p < .05). No significant changes in vibration perception were observed across any group (p > .05).

Exercise therapy is safe and effective in relieving symptoms, enhancing muscle strength, and improving quality of life, with combined exercise showing optimal effects for clinical application.

This study offers references for clinical nonpharmacological rehabilitation of CIPN. Tailored combined aerobicresistance exercise may be considered. Integrating subjective scales with objective functional indicators and monitoring lymphedema risks helps formulate holistic rehabilitation strategies.