Clinical trial · Interventional
Activity & Cognition After Treatment for Breast Cancer
Activity & Cognition After Treatment (ACT) for Breast Cancer
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
This study addresses an important public health concern; impoverished cognitive function associated with treatment of breast cancer. Due to increased awareness of breast cancer combined with advances in medical care, there are over 2.8 million women living with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. alone. Chemotherapy and adjuvant therapy to remove cancerous tissue can result in deficits in attention, speed of processing, memory, and quality of life. Physical activity has been associated with a number of health benefits for breast cancer survivors including improvements in cognitive function. However, most of the literature is cross-sectional and it is unclear whether acute (single) bouts of physical activity affect cognition and, if they do, how long this effect lasts. This study will be the first, to the investigators' knowledge, to examine the effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise on cognitive functioning in breast cancer survivors. Specifically, the investigators will determine the effects of a 30-minute moderate intensity aerobic exercise session (treadmill walking) on immediate and one hour follow up changes in measures of processing speed, memory, and executive function. Additionally, accelerometer cut-points for physical activity intensities in breast cancer survivors will be assessed. Finally, the investigators will examine the association of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity with changes in cognitive function. Findings from this study will allow researchers to determine whether any acute effects of exercise on cognition are retained over time and therefore have real meaning in the context of one's daily life.
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breast Cancer | Malignant Breast Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.92 |
| Mild Cognitive Impairment | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Physical Activity | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (1)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Behavioral | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (1)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- 30 minute treadmill walking
- description
- All participants will walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes and perform a battery of cognitive tasks immediately prior, immediately after, and one hour after completion of the 30 minute walking period.
- interventionNames
- Behavioral: Walking
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Change from baseline in cognitive function in breast cancer survivors immediately and one hour after an acute bout of exercise as assessed by a battery of cognitive functioning measures.
- timeFrame
- 1 year
- description
- Participants will complete cognitive tasks, then exercise on a treadmill for 30 minutes before completing the same cognitive tasks again. Participants will then rest before completing the cognitive tasks one more time one hour after the end of the exercise period.
Secondary outcomes (4)
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Female
- Minimum age
- 30 Years
- Maximum age
- 60 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * women between 30 and 60 years of age * diagnosis of breast cancer * no longer undergoing treatment * fluent in English * no history of dementia or organic brain syndrome * not currently pregnant * able to walk unassisted * no health reasons that would prevent ability to exercise * not currently enrolled in another exercise research study * reported trouble with memory/concentration * physician's consent Exclusion Criteria: * male * no diagnosis of breast cancer * outside of 30-60 years of age * currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer * inability to communicate in English * history of dementia or organic brain syndrome * pregnant * unable to walk unassisted * other health reasons that may prevent ability to exercise * enrolled in another exercise research study * no reported trouble with memory or concentration * non-consent of physician
References
Publications (15)
- BACKGROUNDBray F, McCarron P, Parkin DM. The changing global patterns of female breast cancer incidence and mortality. Breast Cancer Res. 2004;6(6):229-39. doi: 10.1186/bcr932. Epub 2004 Aug 26. PMID 15535852
- BACKGROUNDSurveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program (www.seer.cancer.gov) Research Data (2004-2010), National Cancer Institute, DCCPS, Surveillance Research Program, Surveillance Systems Branch, released April 2014, based on the November 2013 submission.
- BACKGROUNDvan Harten WH, van Noort O, Warmerdam R, Hendricks H, Seidel E. Assessment of rehabilitation needs in cancer patients. Int J Rehabil Res. 1998 Sep;21(3):247-57. doi: 10.1097/00004356-199809000-00001. PMID 9812254
- BACKGROUNDGoodwin JS, Samet JM, Hunt WC. Determinants of survival in older cancer patients. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1996 Aug 7;88(15):1031-8. doi: 10.1093/jnci/88.15.1031. PMID 8683633
- BACKGROUNDPinto AC, de Azambuja E. Improving quality of life after breast cancer: dealing with symptoms. Maturitas. 2011 Dec;70(4):343-8. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.09.008. Epub 2011 Oct 19. PMID 22014722
- BACKGROUNDKesler S, Hadi Hosseini SM, Heckler C, Janelsins M, Palesh O, Mustian K, Morrow G. Cognitive training for improving executive function in chemotherapy-treated breast cancer survivors. Clin Breast Cancer. 2013 Aug;13(4):299-306. doi: 10.1016/j.clbc.2013.02.004. Epub 2013 May 4. PMID 23647804
- BACKGROUNDKoppelmans V, Breteler MM, Boogerd W, Seynaeve C, Gundy C, Schagen SB. Neuropsychological performance in survivors of breast cancer more than 20 years after adjuvant chemotherapy. J Clin Oncol. 2012 Apr 1;30(10):1080-6. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2011.37.0189. Epub 2012 Feb 27. PMID 22370315
- BACKGROUNDHillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2008 Jan;9(1):58-65. doi: 10.1038/nrn2298.