Bridging the Gap: Incorporating Exercise Evidence Into Clinical Practice in Breast Cancer Care in Ontario

Breast cancer (BC) and its treatments lead to numerous side effects that affect a person's life for years after treatment has ended. Research shows that regular exercise limits many of these side effects. However, less than 30% of BC survivors regularly exercise due to many barriers that include patients being unaware of the benefits of exercise, health professionals facing institutional, personal, and patient-related barriers to promoting exercise, and a lack of knowledge translation (KT) strategies within cancer institutions that focus on accessible exercise interventions and education by physiotherapists. For this project, a pilot study is needed as the first step in order to assess process and resource variables before implementation of a large-scale intervention. The primary objective of this pilot trial is to assess the feasibility of conducting a larger trial to evaluate the effects of a novel KT intervention using exercise and self-management versus usual care among BC survivors. The secondary objective is to determine preliminary estimates of effects of the KT intervention of exercise plus self-management (SM) program versus usual care on (a) levels of exercise knowledge and behaviour, (b) health related quality of life and (c) resource utilization, among BC survivors over a four month period.