The Effect of a Combined Exercise Program on the Fatigue Severity of Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy - A Randomized Clinical Trial Study

Sep 28, 2026

Breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy frequently experience fatigue, a burdensome side effect that can erode well-being and quality of life. This randomized clinical trial evaluated whether an 8-week combined exercise program reduces fatigue intensity in chemotherapy patients. Sixty-four eligible participants were assigned to intervention or control groups, completed Piper’s Fatigue Scale before and after the program, and data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Results showed a statistically significant fatigue reduction in the intervention group (p=0.004).

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Original Article The Effect of a Combined Exercise Program on the Fatigue Severity of Patients with Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study Abstract Background: Breast Cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers in the world, including in Iran. Chemotherapy as one of the basic treatments for BC leads to many side effects such as fatigue. This study aimed to examine the effect of a combined exercise program on the intensity of fatigue in patients with BC undergoing chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial study was conducted on 64 patients with BC undergoing chemotherapy referring to the Seyyed al‑Shoada and the Al‑Zahra clinics from January to April 2022. Eligible patients who met inclusion criteria were recruited by the convenience sampling and then assigned randomly to intervention and control groups. The combined exercise program in the intervention group was done for 8 weeks as three sessions a week (34 sessions) each for 35–40 min. Piper’s Fatigue Scale was completed for both groups before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: The results showed that the mean score of fatigue intensity in both control and intervention groups had a statistically significant difference after the intervention (p = 0.004) . The mean fatigue intensity score in the intervention group decreased significantly from mean (SD) 8.17 (1.88) to 5.56 (1.74) . Conclusions: Based on the results, a combined exercise program can reduce fatigue in patients with BC. Therefore, nurses can utilize exercise programs and practices as a subset of complementary medicine alongside other treatment methods, which can effectively promote cancer patients’ quality of life by reducing their fatigue. Keywords: Breast neoplasms, drug therapy, exercise, fatigue, nursing Introduction Breast Cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women in the United States, except for skin cancers in 2023. It accounts for about 30% of all new female cancers each year.[1] In Iran, BC accounts for a major problem in women’s health. Almost one out of ten Iranian women are prone to developing BC, which indicates the importance of the detection and control of this disease in Iran.[2] Unfortunately, the BC incidence rate is on the rise in Iranian women, and estimates show that BC is responsible for 30% of total cancers and 15% of cancer‑induced deaths among women.[3] BC accounts for 23% of total cancers diagnosed in women in Iran, as reported by the Iran National Cancer Registry.[4] Although the treatment success has been a great endowment for prolonging patients’ lifetime, increasing patients’survival alone is not sufficient because This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution‑NonCommercial‑ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non‑commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. [For reprints contact:](For reprints contact: WKHLRPMedknow_reprints@wolterskluwer.com)[ WKHLRPMedknow_reprints@wolterskluwer.com](For reprints contact: WKHLRPMedknow_reprints@wolterskluwer.com) patients do not only want to survive but they also want to have a more untroubled life.[5] Accordingly, increasing the lifetime of patients with cancer, including BC, has caused new challenges in healthcare systems. Inattention to such patients and leaving them behind to seek conventional and arduous treatments cause multiple problems such as anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, and, ultimately, a considerable decline in their quality of life.[6] For this reason, healthcare services provided to patients with cancer have been increasingly directed toward developing interventions to increase patients’ lifetime, in addition to interventions to reduce complications and improve their quality of li

FAQs

What was the purpose of the study?

To examine the effect of a combined exercise program on the intensity of fatigue in breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

How was the intervention delivered and for how long?

The combined exercise program was conducted for 8 weeks, with three sessions per week (34 sessions) lasting 35–40 minutes each.

What tool measured fatigue and what were the main findings?

Piper’s Fatigue Scale was completed before and after the intervention for both groups. Fatigue intensity decreased significantly in the intervention group after the program (p=0.004).

Sep 28, 2026

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