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Cancers
Special Issues
Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies
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Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Metastasis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2023) | Viewed by 20053

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefano Magno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Interests: breast surgery; integrative oncology; microbiome in cancer (oncobiotic); supportive therapies; complementary treatments; quality of life
Dr. Antonio Franco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
Interests: breast surgery; integrative oncology; microbiome in cancer (oncobiotic); supportive therapies; complementary treatments; quality of life

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Breast cancer is, in most cases, a curable disease and not as life-threatening as it was in the past, thanks to early diagnosis and advances in oncological treatments. As a result of the huge prevalence of this disease, together with this improvement in its prognosis, a wider and wider population of breast cancer survivors often face multiple and long-lasting side effects related to anticancer therapies, that could be prevented, alleviated, or cured if properly assessed and managed. In other terms, the outstanding advances in survival have not been matched so far by a comparable commitment to preserving the quality of life of long-term survivors. A new holistic, evidence-based approach is therefore needed, focused on providing cancer patients with the best available oncological treatments alongside person-centered support since the diagnosis of cancer, is based on behaviors (nutrition, physical activity, sleep), psychosocial aspects, and sexual and spiritual issues.

Trying to assess and manage these clinical needs, by integrating mainstream and complementary treatments, will allow breast cancer patients to achieve the goal of complete healing and rehabilitation, in order not just to survive their cancer, but to thrive beyond it.

Dr. Stefano Magno
Dr. Antonio Franco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

 

Keywords

  • quality of life
  • integrative oncology
  • side effects
  • unmet needs
  • complementary treatments
  • nutrition in oncology
  • exercise oncology
  • sexual issues in cancer patients
  • oncofertility
  • acupuncture

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 201 KiB  
Editorial
The Breaking Point and Post-Traumatic Growth in Breast Cancer Survivors
by Antonio Franco and Stefano Magno
Cancers 2023, 15(18), 4441; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15184441 - 6 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1422
Abstract
Advancements in breast cancer survival rates make the issues of quality of life and psycho-physical wellbeing in survivors central goals of comprehensive care [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

12 pages, 1297 KiB  
Article
Does the Argentine Tango Sustainably Improve Cancer-Associated Fatigue and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors?
by Shiao Li Oei, Anja Thronicke, Jessica Groß, Thomas Rieser, Sarah Becker, Patricia Grabowski, Gerrit Grieb, Harald Matthes and Friedemann Schad
Cancers 2023, 15(23), 5678; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15235678 - 30 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1448
Abstract
Background: Chronic cancer-related fatigue is difficult to manage in breast cancer survivors. The tango trial showed that a six-week tango Argentino program was effective in reducing fatigue and improving quality of life, and here we investigated the sustainability of this tango program for [...] Read more.
Background: Chronic cancer-related fatigue is difficult to manage in breast cancer survivors. The tango trial showed that a six-week tango Argentino program was effective in reducing fatigue and improving quality of life, and here we investigated the sustainability of this tango program for breast cancer survivors. Methods: Stage I–III breast cancer survivors with increased fatigue symptoms were analyzed. The fifty participants in the tango trial were compared with a control cohort (n = 108) who did not participate in the tango program. Using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Questionnaire C30 (EORTC-QLQ-C30) and the German version of the cancer fatigue scale (CFS-D) self-reported quality of life parameters were assessed and longitudinal changes, correlations, and association factors were calculated. Results: Significant improvements in fatigue (p = 0.006), physical functioning (p = 0.01), and diarrhea (p = 0.04) persisted in the 50 Tango participants at 6 months, but not in the control cohort. Twelve months after joining the tango program, increased fatigue was associated with reduced sporting activities (p = 0.0005), but this was not the case for tango dancing. Conclusions: The present results suggest that tango may be appropriate as a component of early supportive and follow-up care programs, to promote health-related quality of life and physical activity and also eventually to improve long-term clinical outcomes of breast cancer survivors. Trial registration: Trial registration numbers DRKS00013335 on 27 November 2017 and DRKS00021601 on 21 August 2020 retrospectively registered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)
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10 pages, 599 KiB  
Article
Coping Styles and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy
by Małgorzata Roszkowska and Katarzyna Białczyk
Cancers 2023, 15(23), 5515; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15235515 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1493
Abstract
Purpose: This study examined relationships between coping styles and quality of life (QoL) in oncology patients undergoing radiotherapy compared with healthy controls. Coping styles and QoL were assessed to elucidate connections and inform psychosocial care. Methods: 57 females participated, including 28 breast cancer [...] Read more.
Purpose: This study examined relationships between coping styles and quality of life (QoL) in oncology patients undergoing radiotherapy compared with healthy controls. Coping styles and QoL were assessed to elucidate connections and inform psychosocial care. Methods: 57 females participated, including 28 breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy and 29 healthy controls matched on demographics. Participants completed the COPE Inventory, which measures active, emotion-focused, and avoidant coping levels, and the SF-36, which assesses mental, physical, and overall QoL. Between-group differences were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test. Correlations between coping styles and QoL were examined with Spearman’s r. Results: Breast cancer patients showed a significantly lower QoL on all scales versus controls. In patients, active coping weakly correlated with physical QoL, while avoidance moderately to strongly correlated with poorer mental, physical, and overall QoL. In controls, active coping strongly correlated with mental and overall QoL, and avoidance moderately negatively correlated across domains. Conclusion: Maladaptive avoidance coping was strongly related to poorer QoL in both groups, especially patients. Active coping showed limited benefits for patients’ QoL, in contrast with the controls. Those with low scores require effective interventions during radiotherapy, which are crucial for coping with treatment adverse effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)
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15 pages, 5511 KiB  
Article
The Role of Blood Microbiome in the Development of Thyroid Cancer in Breast Cancer Survivors
by Jeongshin An, Hyungju Kwon and Young Ju Kim
Cancers 2023, 15(18), 4492; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15184492 - 9 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1446
Abstract
Patients diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer as a second primary cancer. Similarly, patients with thyroid cancer are likely to develop breast cancer. In this study, we found an association between these two types of cancers in [...] Read more.
Patients diagnosed with breast cancer are likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer as a second primary cancer. Similarly, patients with thyroid cancer are likely to develop breast cancer. In this study, we found an association between these two types of cancers in the microbiomes of patients with breast cancer. Blood samples were collected from 96 patients with breast cancer, their bacterial extracellular vesicles were isolated, and their microbiomes were analyzed. After microbiome analysis, researchers performed thyroid function tests, estrogen levels, and thyroid ultrasound results of these patients, and the relationships among these parameters were analyzed. Based on the thyroid ultrasonography results, differences in the microbiome were confirmed in the normal, cyst, nodule, and thyroid lobectomy groups. We investigated the microbiome differences between normal thyroid and thyroid cancer. In particular, the abundance of the genus Bacillus is related to estrogen levels, which could affect thyroid abnormalities and increase thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. This study explains the causes of thyroid cancer in patients with breast cancer using microbiomes and serological tests for thyroid hormones and estrogen. These can be used as basic data for preventing thyroid cancer in patients with breast cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)
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17 pages, 1340 KiB  
Article
Differential Impact of Exercises on Quality-of-Life Improvement in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
by Tzu-Chieh Wang, Pei-Lun Chen, Wan-Chun Liao and I-Chen Tsai
Cancers 2023, 15(13), 3380; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15133380 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3645
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of various exercise interventions in enhancing the quality of life for breast cancer survivors. To achieve this, randomized controlled trials were identified from major electronic databases, focusing on the relationship between exercise and quality of life [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of various exercise interventions in enhancing the quality of life for breast cancer survivors. To achieve this, randomized controlled trials were identified from major electronic databases, focusing on the relationship between exercise and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. The primary outcome was the impact of exercise on quality of life 12 weeks after the intervention, with a secondary outcome comparing dropout rates between intervention groups and a regular care control group. The study protocol was registered with INPLASY (INPLASY202340007). A network meta-analysis of nine randomized controlled trials involving 725 participants was conducted, examining aerobic and strength training, aerobic activity, yoga, and strength exercise. Results showed that aerobic and strength training was the most effective intervention, significantly improving the quality of life of breast cancer survivors (1.31; 95% confidence interval: 0.49 to 2.12). Aerobic activity had a borderline effect (0.83; 0.03 to 1.63), while no exercise interventions were associated with an increased dropout risk compared to the control group (regular care). The study concluded that concurrent aerobic and strength training can improve breast cancer survivors’ quality of life after 12 weeks of intervention without increasing dropout risk compared to regular care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)
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14 pages, 1409 KiB  
Article
Efficacy of Tango Argentino for Cancer-Associated Fatigue and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial
by Friedemann Schad, Thomas Rieser, Sarah Becker, Jessica Groß, Harald Matthes, Shiao Li Oei and Anja Thronicke
Cancers 2023, 15(11), 2920; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15112920 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3744
Abstract
Background: Persistent impairments of quality of life—in particular, cancer-associated fatigue—are a major limitation for breast cancer survivors. As physical activity and mindfulness interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing fatigue symptoms, we investigated the efficacy of a six-week Argentine tango program. [...] Read more.
Background: Persistent impairments of quality of life—in particular, cancer-associated fatigue—are a major limitation for breast cancer survivors. As physical activity and mindfulness interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing fatigue symptoms, we investigated the efficacy of a six-week Argentine tango program. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 60 breast cancer survivors diagnosed with stage I-III tumors 12–48 months prior to study enrollment and who had increased symptoms of fatigue. The participants were randomly assigned with a 1:1 allocation to either the tango or the waiting group. The treatment consisted of six weeks of supervised weekly one-hour tango group-sessions. Self-reported fatigue and further quality of life parameters were assessed at baseline and six weeks post-baseline. Longitudinal changes, correlations, Cohen’s D (d) effect sizes, and association factors were also calculated. Results: Superiority of the tango intervention over the waiting list control was found in terms of improvement in fatigue (d = −0.64; 95%CI, −1.2 to −0.08; p = 0.03), especially cognitive fatigue. In addition, a superiority of the tango intervention over the waiting list was found in the improvement of diarrhea (d = −0.69; 95%CI, −1.25 to −0.13; p = 0.02). A pooled pre-post analysis of the 50 participants completing the six-week tango program revealed a close to 10% improvement of fatigue (p = 0.0003), insomnia (p = 0.008) and further quality of life outcomes. Adjusted multivariate linear regression analyses revealed the greatest improvements for participants who were more active in sports. In particular, survivors who received endocrine therapies, were obese, or had no prior dance experience seemed to especially benefit from the tango program. Conclusions: This randomized controlled trial demonstrated that a six-week Argentine tango program improves fatigue in breast cancer survivors. Further trials are warranted to determine whether such improvements lead to better long-term clinical outcomes. Trial registration: trial registration number DRKS00021601. Retrospectively registered on 21 August 2020. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)
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41 pages, 3970 KiB  
Article
Breast Cancer: How Hippotherapy Bridges the Gap between Healing and Recovery—A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
by Hélène Viruega, Corinne Galy, Célia Loriette, Stéphane Jacquot, Jean Louis Houpeau and Manuel Gaviria
Cancers 2023, 15(4), 1317; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15041317 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5942
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed women’s cancer, and has a high survival rate. Despite great progress in detection and treatment, life reconstruction requires comprehensive cross-sectoral approaches between different disciplines and deeper consideration of the patient’s challenges. Hippotherapy is an emerging specialized [...] Read more.
Background: Breast cancer is the most diagnosed women’s cancer, and has a high survival rate. Despite great progress in detection and treatment, life reconstruction requires comprehensive cross-sectoral approaches between different disciplines and deeper consideration of the patient’s challenges. Hippotherapy is an emerging specialized rehabilitation approach, performed by accredited health professionals and equine specialists, on specially trained horses via their movement, activating major paths for physical, mental, psychic and social reinforcement, and is synergistic to rehabilitative and supportive care. Methods: We conducted a randomized open, prospective, two-armed, controlled trial on the effectiveness of hippotherapy versus conventional supportive care on adult women with a diagnosis of breast cancer, after the period of primary treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy). The 6-month program included, in the treated group, an initial 1-week daily hippotherapy session, followed by three short 2-day sessions with an interval of 2 months between each, where the patients received conventional supportive care. The control group received 6 months of conventional supportive care. The primary end point was quality of life. Cognitive performances, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and body image were the secondary end points. Measurements were done through self-reported questionnaires. Results: We observed statistical differences in the evolution of the measured parameters over time between the two groups. The hippotherapy group showed a much faster, favorable and continuous improvement until the end of the program for each function assessed. The most striking improvements were observed in global quality of life, and fatigue, while breast cancer-specific quality of life, cognitive performance, anxiety and depression and body image showed a less marked but still statistically significant difference at the final post-treatment evaluation. Conclusions: We demonstrate the therapeutic relevance of hippotherapy, a one-health approach, as a key initial stage after cancer diagnosis and treatment to foster recovery. Furthermore, hippotherapy has a strong impact on cancer treatments’ efficiency and reconstruction of patient’s life and ecosystem. This work reveals a layer of complexity that needs to be broadly considered. Trial registration: ClincalTrials.gov NCT04350398 accessed on 1 January 2022. Registered 17 April 2020, retrospectively registered; French Clinical Trials in Cancer Register RECF3818. Registered 18 March 2019, retrospectively registered. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breast Cancer Survivors and Supportive Therapies)
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