New programme to women after breast cancer

A new exercise programme will be trialled to help women return to work after experiencing breast cancer.

Researcher Dr Rebecca Vince from the University of Hull was awarded £101,028 from Breast Cancer Now to set up the scheme.

One in three women experience persistent tiredness after treatment, and almost half (48%) experience depression and anxiety, the university said.

Dr Vince said she hoped the programme would fulfil "a very unmet need" for women after breast cancer.

An initial study will include 90 women who have had breast cancer and returned to work monitored for 12 weeks through their physical activity, fatigue, mood, pain levels and workplace performance.

Researchers will then work with study participants to determine how the can be improved and accessed.

Focus groups to better understand the barriers women face and how the programme can be tailored to their needs will then be completed.

The University of Hull said physical activity had be shown to "improve cancer-related fatigue" and "reduce the risk of relapse".

Dr Vince said: "Quality of life is important, embodying good physical and mental health and overall well-being and happiness.

"We believe our programme can address these factors and fulfil a very unmet need for women after breast cancer."

Lucie Lewis, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, a week before her 25th birthday, said she found exercise a vital part of improving her mental health and energy for work.

Ms Lewis, an audio producer who lives in Derbyshire, said: "This research is so important as I had a lot of difficulty finding any information and around exercise after cancer in general, a lot of stuff was very focused on much older people."

Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, said: "Almost 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK and this number is rising.

"This project has real potential to help improve women's quality of life after breast cancer treatment and also help many of them when they return to work."

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