Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Personal accounts of exercise and quality of life from the perspective of breast cancer survivors

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to examine breast cancer survivors’ perceptions of exercise and their quality of life (QoL).

Methods

About 289 breast cancer survivors completed a survey addressing exercise attitudes, behaviour and perceived QoL. In addition, the breast cancer survivors completed two open-ended questions designed to explore perceptions of exercise and QoL throughout their cancer experience. Inductive and deductive content analyses were used to analyse responses.

Results

About 19 first-order themes were identified, which were clustered into five second-order themes that included; Exercise behaviour, Lifestyle, Limitations and barriers, Growth and priorities, and Personal beliefs and values. The findings identified a framework of multifaceted views held by breast cancer survivors in relation to their QoL and outlook on their disease.

Conclusions

Given that cancer survivors are faced with a number of treatment related morbidities 2 years post-diagnosis, there is a need for health professionals to carefully address a cancer survivor’s exercise needs in an attempt to help improve their future QoL.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Avis, N. E., Crawford, S., & Manuel, J. (2005). Quality of life among younger women with breast cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 23(15), 322–330.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ganz, P. A., Guadagnoli, E., Landrum, M. B., Lash, T. L., Rakowski, W., & Silliman, R. A. (2003). Breast cancer in older women: Quality of life and psychosocial adjustment in the 15 months after diagnosis. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21, 4027–4033.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Carter, B. J. (1993). Long term survivors of breast cancer: A qualitative descriptive study. Cancer Nursing, 16, 354–361.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Ganz, P. (2006). Monitoring the physical health of cancer survivors: A survivorship-focused medical history. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 24(32), 5105–5111.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ganz, P. A., Greendale, G. A., Petersen, L., Kahn, B., & Bower, J. E. (2003). Breast cancer in younger women; Reproductive and late health effects of treatment. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21, 4184–4193.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Stewart, B. W., & Kleihues, P. (Eds.). (2003). World cancer report. Lyon: IARC Press.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ferrell, B. R., & Dow, K. (1997). Quality of life among long-term cancer survivors. Oncology, 11, 565–571.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Foley, K. L., Farmer, D. F., Petronis, V. M., Smith, R. G., McGraw, S., Smith, K., Carver, C. S., & Avis, N. (2006). A qualitative exploration of the cancer experience among long-term survivors: comparisons by cancer type, ethnicity, gender and age. Psycho-Oncology, 15, 248–258.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Vickberg, S. M. (2003). The concerns about recurrence scale (CARS); A systematic measure of women’s fears about the possibility of breast cancer recurrence. Annals of Behavioural Medicine, 25, 16–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Dow, K. H., Ferrell, B. R., Leigh, S., Ly, J., & Gulasekaram, P. (1996). An evaluation of the quality of life among long-term survivors of breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 39, 261–273.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Ferrell, B. R., Dow, K. H., Leigh, S., Ly, J., & Gulasekaram, P. (1995). Quality of life in long-term cancer survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 22(6), 915–922.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Carter, B. J. (1990). A phenomenological study of long term survivors of adult cancer. Dissertation Abstracts International, 50, 3395.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Burton, L. A. (1998). The spiritual dimension of palliative care. Seminars in Oncology Nursing, 14, 121–128.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Stanton A. L., Danoff-Burg, S., & Huggins, M. E. (2002). The first year after breast cancer diagnosis: Hope and coping strategies as predictors of adjustment. Psycho-oncology, 11, 93–102.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Ferrell, B. R., Smith, S. L., Juarez, G., & Melancon, C. (2003). Meaning of illness and spirituality in ovarian cancer survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 30(2), 249–257.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Tix, A., & Frazier, P. (1998). The use of religious coping during stressful life events: Main effects, moderation, and mediation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 411–422.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Bower, J. E., Meyerowitz, B. E., Desmond, K. A., Bernaards, C. A., Rowland, J. H., & Ganz, P. A. (2005). Perceptions of positive meaning and vulnerability following breast cancer: Predictors and outcomes among long-term breast cancer survivors. Annals in Behaviour Medicine, 29(3), 236–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sears, S. R., Staton, A. L., & Danoff-Burg, S. (2003). The yellow brick road and the emerald city: Benefit finding, positive reappraisal coping and posttraumatic growth in women with early-stage breast cancer. Health Psychology, 22, 487–497.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Cordova, M. J., Cunningham, L. L., Carlson, C. R., & Andrylowski, M. A. (2001). Posttraumatic growth following breast cancer: A controlled comparison study. Health Psychology, 20, 176–185.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Tomich, P. L., & Helgeson, V. S. (2002). Five years later: A cross-sectional comparison of breast cancer survivors with healthy women. Psycho-Oncology, 11, 154–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. McNeely, M. L., Campbell, K. L., Rowe, B. H., Klassen, T. P, Mackey, J. R, Courneya, K. S. (2006). Effects of exercise on breast cancer patients and survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 175(1), 34–41.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Milne, H. M., Gordon, S., Guilfoyle, A., Wallman, K., & Courneya, K. S. (in press). Association between exercise patterns and quality of life among Western Australian breast cancer survivors. Psycho-Oncology.

  23. Richards, L. (1999). Using NVivo in qualitative research. London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. New York: Aldine.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ferrans, C. E. (1994). Quality of life through the eyes of survivors of breast cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum, 21(10), 1645–1651.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Cherny, N., & Portenoy, R. (1994). The management of cancer pain. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 44, 262–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Bower, J. E., Ganz. P. A., Desmond, K. A., Rowland, J. H., Meyerowitz, B. E., & Belin, T. R. (2000). Fatigue in breast cancer survivors: Occurrence, correlates and impact on quality of life. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 18, 743–753.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Loescher, L. J., Clark, L., Atwood, J. R., Leigh, S., & Lamb, G. (1990). The impact of the cancer experience on long-term survivors. Oncology Nursing Forum, 17(2), 223–229.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Wyatt, G., & Friedman, L. L. (1996). Long-term female cancer survivors: Quality of life issues and clinical implications. Cancer Nursing, 19, 1–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Dow, K. H. (1990). The enduring seasons in survival. Oncology Nursing Forum, 17, 511–516.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Jones, L., & Courneya, K. S. (2002). Exercise discussions during cancer treatment consultations. Cancer Practice, 10, 66–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Segal, R. J., Reid, R. D., Courneya, K. S., Malone, S. C., Parliament, M. B., Scott, C. G., Venner, P. M., Quinney, H. A., Jones, L. W., D’Angelo, M. E. S., & Wells, G. A. (2003). Resistance exercise in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21(9), 1653–1659.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Meyerhardt, J. A., Giovannucci, E. L., Holmes, M. D., Chan, A. T., Chan, J. A., Colditz, G. A., & Fuchs, C. S. (2006). Physical activity and survival after colorectal cancer diagnosis. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 24(22), 3527–3534.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Vallance, J. K. H., Courneya, K. S., Jones, L. W., & Reiman, T. (2005). Differences in quality of life between non-hodgkin’s lymphoma survivors meeting and not meeting public health exercise guidelines. Psycho-Oncology, 14, 979–991.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors thank The Western Australia Cancer Registry staff, in particular Dr Timothy Threlfall, Principal Medical Officer, for their expertise and advice. Kerry S. Courneya is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program and a Research Team Grant from the National Cancer Institute of Canada with funds from the Canadian Cancer Society and the NCIC/CCS Sociobehavioral Cancer Research Network

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The School of Human Movement and Exercise Science, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6008, Australia

    Helen M. Milne, Sandy Gordon & Karen E. Wallman

  2. Centre for Psychological Research and Centre for Social Research, Edith Cowan University, 100 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, WA, 6027, Australia

    Andrew Guilfoyle

  3. Faculty of Physical Education, University of Alberta, 114 St - 89 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2R3

    Kerry S. Courneya

Authors
  1. Helen M. Milne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew Guilfoyle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sandy Gordon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Karen E. Wallman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Kerry S. Courneya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helen M. Milne.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Milne, H.M., Guilfoyle, A., Gordon, S. et al. Personal accounts of exercise and quality of life from the perspective of breast cancer survivors. Qual Life Res 16, 1473–1481 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9251-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9251-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation