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Physical activity among cancer survivors—what is their perception and experience?

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Abstract

Purpose

Physical activity (PA) plays an important role relating to cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the attitude to and experience with the subject of PA in cancer in a large group of tumour patients.

Methods

A standardised questionnaire was carried out and distributed to patients online and in printed form.

Results

Nine hundred five patients answered the questionnaire. Most tumour patients (60%) received information about PA after their cancer therapy. The Internet was often rated to be inadequate as a source of information. One in two tumour patients were recommended PA by a therapist. During the acute phase, the majority (57% of the 776) did not receive a sport-therapeutic exercise programme. Two thirds (68%) of the 898 patients indicated regularly engaging in PA at least 3 or 5 days per week. In most cases (30% of the 787), 2 to 4 h per week were dedicated to PA. In addition to a desire to increase well-being, enjoyment played a large role. Weakness and lack of willpower are among the most common barriers. Most tumour patients confirmed that PA improved their body awareness (58%) or gave them the feeling that they could do something to better cope with the disease (61%) or feel better (68%).

Conclusion

On the one hand, the information requirements of tumour patients with respect to PA have not been adequately taken into account by practitioners. On the other hand, there are still subjective inhibitions on the part of the patients, which keep them from engaging in PA.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the leaders, staffs and members of the Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft e.V. (DKG) (German Cancer Society) and of the Haus der Krebs-Selbsthilfe Bundesverband e.V. (HKSH-BV) (Federal Association of Cancer Self-help) and also the personnel and members of the Cancer Nurse in Kiel for their support.

Funding

This work was supported in part by the local review board of the University of Kiel registration number AZ D 447/16.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Thorsten Schmidt and Jutta Hübner contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Haematology and Medical Oncology, Clinic of Internal Medicine II of the University Hospital in Jena, Jena, Germany

    Jan-Christoph Höh & Jutta Hübner

  2. Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) North, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Straße 3, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Thorsten Schmidt

Authors
  1. Jan-Christoph Höh
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  2. Thorsten Schmidt
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thorsten Schmidt.

Ethics declarations

According to the rules of the ethics committee at the University Hospital of the Friedrich-Schiller-University at Jena, no ethics vote was necessary.

The study was approved by the local review board of the university of Kiel (registration number: AZ D 447/16).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

On behalf of the German Cancer Society and of the Federal Association of Cancer Self-help and of the Cancer Nurse in Kiel

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Höh, JC., Schmidt, T. & Hübner, J. Physical activity among cancer survivors—what is their perception and experience?. Support Care Cancer 26, 1471–1478 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-017-3977-0

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