Remotely Supervised Exercise During Chemotherapy in Women With Breast Cancer

The RE-CARE project is designed to evaluate the effects of a 24-week, remotely supervised, combined high-intensity interval aerobic and resistance exercise training on physical health and quality of life in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The study will enroll women aged 30-65 years with previously untreated, primary breast cancer, clinical stage IIA-IIB or IIIA-IIIC, who are scheduled to receive doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide-based NACT. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an experimental intervention group or a control group. At baseline, comprehensive assessments will be conducted to evaluate cardiorespiratory fitness, physical endurance, muscle strength, cognitive function, and health-related quality of life. The primary objective is to determine the impact of the remotely supervised combined aerobic and resistance exercise on incidence and severity of NACT-related adverse effects in patients with BC.

Inclusion Criteria: * previously untreated primary breast cancer; * stage IIA-B, IIIA-C at diagnosis; * diagnosis established by core needle biopsy; * age 30-65 years; * prescribed doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide-based NACT. Exclusion Criteria: * cardiac pathologies (assessed by echocardiogram); * blood transfusion in the last six months; * another oncological disease; * previous chemotherapy, hormonal or X-ray treatment; * participation in another clinical trial.