Summary
While it is known that physical exercise can help people to better tolerate and complete often harsh cancer treatments, it is an emerging area of research to understand if and how exercise exerts anti-tumour effects and improves cancer outcomes.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is a type of chemotherapy used to treat breast cancer. The aim of this study is to examine if a physical exercise intervention during NACT can increase absence of invasive tumours on surgical histopathology taken after chemotherapy.
Eligible participants will be randomly allocated into two groups. One group will take part in high-intensity interval and strength training during their chemotherapy which includes two structured 60-minute exercise sessions per week from initiation of NACT to surgery (approximately 5 months). The other group will receive standard care which includes routine information on the benefit of physical activity, but no specific exercise sessions.