Characterizing Mental and Cognitive Health and Physical Activity in the Perioperative Breast Cancer Setting

This study evaluates the complex relationships between mental health, cognitive function, and physical activity before surgery in patients with stage I-III breast cancer. Most patients with breast cancer experience declines in their mental health, with up to two-thirds of patients reporting symptoms of depression and anxiety. Cancer-related cognitive decline is even more prevalent; 75% of patients with breast cancer report varying degree of loss in mental acuity throughout their cancer experience. Both mental and cognitive health declines are pervasive, lasting anywhere from 5 years to decades after treatment completion. Not only are these declines detrimental to patients' quality of life, but they also increase the risk of cancer-related mortality. Maintaining sufficient levels of physical activity (PA) is important to both prevent breast cancer and improve health post-diagnosis. PA improves anxiety and depressive symptoms during and after treatment. Early intervention with PA prior to or during cancer treatment, or prehabilitation, can avoid or reduce the severity of treatment-related side effects, hospital length of stay, surgical complications, and care costs. Information gained in this study may help researchers learn more about the right time during treatment for delivering lifestyle programs to improve mental and cognitive health.