Background
cancer and cancer, fatigue, breast cancer, cognitive functioning, cognitive problems, depression
LATE EFFECTS, BREAST CANCER
An increasing number of patients with breast cancer are facing late effects of cancer and cancer treatment (Studies have shown that brain alterations occur after treatment with chemotherapy, including global and local grey matter volumetric reductions (Several randomized exercise intervention studies, with an intervention duration of 6 months or longer, have shown positive effects on cognitive functioning in healthy elderly (In a cross-sectional study conducted in breast cancer patients after completion of treatment, an association was found between higher cardiorespiratory fitness and larger hippocampal volume (The purpose of the ‘Physical Activity and Memory (PAM) study’ was to investigate the effects of a 6-month physical exercise intervention on cognitive functioning and brain structure, in physically inactive, chemotherapy-exposed women with breast cancer and cognitive problems. Earlier, we reported no positive effects of physical exercise on tested cognitive functioning, but beneficial effects on subjective cognitive functioning, fatigue, depression and quality of life (