Exercise Programs in Healthy Young Women at Increased Risk of Developing Breast Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Healthy women with ≥ 18% lifetime risk for breast cancer as evidenced by the following:

  * Documentation from a genetic counselor of a known familial breast cancer susceptibility mutation
  * Claus model risk of ≥18%
  * Predicted probability of BRCA1/2 mutation \> 25% based on the Myriad model
  * Documentation of a known mutation in a family member such that the Mendelian probability of a BRCA1/2 mutation would be \>25%
  * History of lobular carcinoma in situ
* No prior prophylactic mastectomy
* Leisure-time exercise energy expenditure of ≤ 500 kcal/week over the past 6 months
* Hormone receptor status not specified

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* Premenopausal
* Menstrual cycles 25-32 days in length
* Intact ovaries and uterus
* Gynecologic age (defined as participant's current age minus the age at which she started menstruating) of at least 4 years
* Body mass index 21-50
* No history of menstrual difficulties
* No history of physician-diagnosed gynecological disease (e.g., fibroids, endometriosis, or polycystic ovary syndrome)
* Not pregnant
* Not planning to become pregnant during the study period
* No medical conditions or medications that would prohibit participation in aerobic exercise or would negatively impact the study
* No history of cancer, except nonmelanoma skin cancers, and in situ cervical cancers
* No eating disorders (e.g., bulimia or binge-eating disorder)
* At least one year since prior smoking
* Not planning to move away from the area during the period of the study
* No concurrent participation in any weight loss programs

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* At least 3 months since prior hormonal contraception
* Must use effective non-hormonal contraception unless participant has undergone prior tubal ligation
* Consumes no more than 7 alcoholic beverages per week