March 29, 2004

VCU researchers use walking to reduce risk in African-American breast cancer survivors

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By Lorraine Cichowski and Diane Baer Wilson

RICHMOND, Va. – Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Massey Cancer Center have used an innovative pilot test of a walking intervention to reduce risk of cancer recurrence in African-American breast cancer survivors.

The study, which appears in abstract form in the April issue of the Centers for Disease Control’s electronic journal, Preventing Chronic Disease, looked at the results of a low-impact exercise program, Walking Counts!, on steps walked per day, body mass index (BMI) and other measures in a population of African-American woman who had survived breast cancer.  Few studies have tested healthy lifestyle interventions in cancer survivors.

“More than 60 percent of women report weight gain after breast cancer diagnosis, increasing their risk of cancer recurrence and other diseases,” said Diane Baer Wilson, EdD, MS, RD, associate professor of internal medicine and the lead investigator of the study. “We wanted to test whether increased walking for exercise, without any nutritional intervention, could help breast cancer survivors control their weight.”

For the eight-week pilot test, VCU’s Massey Cancer Center partnered with community centers in the Richmond area to offer the walking intervention program designed by Wilson to high-risk breast cancer survivors, aged 30 to 70. The 23 women who participated used pedometers, a walking/scheduler/tracker and informational/motivational sessions to help them achieve 10,000 or more steps per day, or about five miles. Data were collected at three points to examine changes in walking, BMI, body fat percentage, blood pressure and waist, hip and forearm circumferences, as well as attitudes toward exercise and cancer stress.

“We had a phenomenal response to our feasibility test,” Wilson said. “We saw significant decreases in BMI, body weight, percent body fat, waist and forearm measures and blood pressure. The study also indicated that breast cancer survivors are motivated to improve their health habits.”

The results of the pilot study were presented at a CDC conference in late February.  The abstract is available at http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2004/apr/03_0034r.htm.

Wilson plans to build on the data and test a larger population in a randomized study design.