Klin Onkol 2025; 38(2): 110-118. DOI: 10.48095/ccko2025110.
Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring malignant disease in the female population in the Czech Republic. As a result of the increasing incidence and stagnant to decreasing mortality, the number of women who have overcome this disease and have to deal with the unwanted side effects of oncological treatment is increasing. One of the possible non-drug interventions to influence these negative effects is physical activity. Materials and methods: The main aim of the presented study was to assess the effect of a twelve-week interventional exercise program on selected parameters, specifically on physical fitness, bone tissue density and quality of life, in patients after completion of curative treatment for breast cancer. A partial goal was to evaluate the degree of adherence to the proposed exercise program. Thirty-three women were included in the research, and they were divided into three groups in a non-randomized way – the SAPA group undergoing controlled supervised exercise, the HAPA group completing a controlled home exercise program and a control group without a controlled exercise program. Results: Twenty-eight women completed the initial measurement (55.18 ± 11.46 years, 165.32 ± 6.22 cm, 75.21 ± 15.93 kg, BMI 27.61 ± 5,78). VO2peak increased by 1.66% in the SAPA group, by 1.29% in the HAPA group, and decreased by 15.10% in the control group (P = 0.043; d = 0.908; CLES = 73.97%). On average, bone density decreased most in the control group (−1.1%; P = 0.028; d = 0.956, CLES = 75.05%). The quality of life questionnaires did not record a statistically or objectively significant result. Average adherence in the SAPA group was 74.59%, and in the HAPA group, 74.79%. Conclusion: Our results indicate a positive benefit of an exercise program on physical fitness and bone density, whether for supervised or home exercise. On the contrary, we cannot unequivocally confirm the benefit of our exercise program on the quality of life of breast cancer survivors. The adherence to the program was average for both groups.