Publication Date

Spring 2023

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the most difficult subtypes of breast cancer to treat due to a lack of molecular targets. While chemotherapy (CT) has become the standard form of treatment, the administration of CT depends on adequate white blood cell (WBC) count. When WBC becomes too low, patients risk becoming ineligible for treatment. In the general population, WBC count has been shown to increase as a result of exercise, but little research has been done on the effects of exercise and WBC count in the TNBC population. The purpose of this study is to determine if 12 weeks of resistance training during CT treatment can maintain, or improve WBC count and chemotherapy efficacy in non-metastatic TNBC patients compared to those in a usual care (UC) condition. It is hypothesized that TNBC patients in the exercise intervention group will maintain, or see improvements in WBC count and CT efficacy compared to patients in a UC condition. This study is experimental and longitudinal. The study population will consist of 20 non-metastatic TNBC patients receiving CT treatment. Measurements of WBC count and tumor size will be taken at three points throughout the fourteen-week study period. The groups will be compared at the end of the fourteen weeks. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences will be used to perform statistical analyses. Mean and standard deviation will be utilized to present the descriptive statistics. Statistical analysis of inferential variables will be performed using a 2x3 Analysis of Variance. This study is significant because WBC count maintenance as an effect of resistance training could be monumental to the TNBC population—where the ability to stay eligible for treatment is imperative to patient survival.

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Triple-negative breast cancer, white blood cell count, chemotherapy efficacy

Disciplines

Cellular and Molecular Physiology | Exercise Physiology | Physiology

Format

.pdf

Language

eng

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