The EON monthly newsletter includes upcoming webinars, updates on exercise oncology and oncology nutrition related events, publications, and resources. This information is also available on the EON Network webpage. Past newsletters are archived here. General EON Network resources are listed here.

Policy Approaches to Incorporating Exercise Oncology Services into Standard of Care

Laurie Whitsel, PhD and Melissa Maitin-Shepard, MPP

Effects of Exercise in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer: Results of the PREFERABLE-EFFECT Study

Anne May, PhD

The PREFERABLE EFFECT study aimed to investigate the effects of a 9-month supervised exercise program on patients with metastatic breast cancer. The RCT was performed in centers in five European countries and in one Australian center, and included 357 patients with metastatic breast cancer. During the presentation, results for the primary outcomes (fatigue and quality of life) will be presented as well as for several secondary outcomes and cost-effectiveness.

Additional speakers for the EON Webinar Series will be announced soon — stay tuned!

All previous webinar session recordings are available on the EON Network Webinars webpage. 

Schmitz KH, Brown JC, Irwin ML, Robien K, Scott JM, Berger NA, Caan B, Cercek A, Crane TE, Evans SR, Ligibel JA, Meyerhardt JA, Agurs-Collins T, Basen-Engquist K, Bea JW, Cai SF, Cartmel B, Chinchilli VM, Demark-Wahnefried W, Dieli-Conwright CM, DiPietro L, Doerksen SE, Edelstein SL, Elena J, Evans W, Ferrucci LM, Foldi J, Freylersythe S, Furberg H, Jones LW, Levine R, Moskowitz CS, Owusu C, Penedo F, Rabin BA, Ratner E, Rosenzweig M, Salz T, Sanft T, Schlumbrecht M, Spielmann G, Thomson CA, Tjaden AH, Weiser MR, Yang S, Yu AF, Perna FM; ENICTO Consortium. Exercise and Nutrition to Improve Cancer Treatment-Related Outcomes (ENICTO). J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Aug 8:djae177. doi: 10.1093/jnci/djae177. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39118255. Read here.

This paper describes the mechanisms hypothesized to underpin exercise and nutrition intervention effects on clinically-relevant treatment outcomes, briefly outlines each project's distinct research aims, summarizes the scope and organizational structure of ENICTO, and provides an overview of the integrated common data elements used to pursue research questions collectively. In addition, the paper includes a description of consortium-wide activities and broader research community opportunities for collaborative research.

Hiensch AE, Depenbusch J, Schmidt ME, Monninkhof EM, Pelaez M, Clauss D, Gunasekara N, Zimmer P, Belloso J, Trevaskis M, Rundqvist H, Wiskemann J, Muller J, Sweegers MG, Fremd C, Altena R, Gorecki M, Bijlsma R, van Leeuwen-Snoeks L, ten Boekkel Huinink D, Sonke G, Laheuerta A, Mann GB, Francis PA, Richardson G, Malter W, van der Wall E, Aaronson NK, Senkus E, Urruticoechea A, Zopf EM, Bloch W, Stuiver MM, Wengstrom Y, Steindorf K, May AM. Supervised, structured and individualized exercise in metastatic breast cancer: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Med. 2024 Jul 25. Read here.

Image: PREFERABLE Consortium

Dr. Hiensch writes "Interventions that improve health-related quality of life (HRQOL) are much needed for patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). The multinational randomized controlled PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial assessed the effects of a 9-month exercise program on fatigue and HRQOL in patients with MBC. The EFFECT study recruited 357 patients from centers in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Poland and Australia. This study showed that exercise resulted in significant positive effects on both primary outcomes. Physical fatigue was significantly lower for the exercise group compared to the control group, at 6 and 9 months. Health Related Quality of Life was significantly higher in the exercise group, at 3, 6 and 9 months. Moreover, numerous other positive outcomes were observed, most notably on physical functioning, role functioning, social functioning, pain, dyspnoea and sexual health. Two serious adverse events occurred (both fractures), which were unrelated to bone metastases. These results demonstrate that supervised exercise has positive effects on physical fatigue and HRQOL in patients with MBC and should be recommended as part of supportive care."

Kennedy MA, Wood KC, Campbell A, Potiaumpai M, Wilson CM, Schwartz AL, Gorzelitz J, Caru M, Schmitz KH. Identification of core competencies for exercise oncology professionals: A Delphi study of United States and Australian participants. Cancer Med. 2024 Jul;13(14):e70004. PMID: 39046221. Read here.

Jespersen E, Daviu Cobián C, Jørgensen TL, Minet LR, Schnack TH, Vinther A. Development and feasibility of an exercise therapy intervention for older women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer referred to neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to possible interval debulking surgery. Gynecol Oncol Rep. 2024 Jun 26;54:101441. PMID: 39040941. Read here.

Schmocker M, Engst R, Wirz M, Bana M. Factors influencing physical activity in individuals with head and neck cancer: a scoping review. BMJ Open. 2024 Jul 17;14(7):e083852. PMID: 39019637. Read here.

Brown JC, Yang S, Compton SLE, Campbell KL, Cespedes Feliciano EM, Quinney S, Sternfeld B, Caan BJ, Meyerhardt JA, Schmitz KH. Effect of resistance training on physical function during chemotherapy in colon cancer. JNCI Cancer Spectr. 2024 Jul 16:pkae058. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39012500. Read here.

Sikandari MH, Siddiqui A, Ahmad M, Shaikh S, Khuwaja S, Ahmad F, Saleem AR, Sanjay K, Kumar M, Memon S, Noorani GQ, Siddiqui FF. Effect of exercise on fatigue and depression in breast cancer women undergoing chemotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jul 16;32(8):515. PMID: 39012405. Read here.

Belluomini L, Avancini A, Sposito M, Pontolillo L, Tregnago D, Trestini I, Insolda J, Carbognin L, Milella M, Bria E, Pilotto S. Integrating nutrition, physical exercise, psychosocial support and antiemetic drugs into CINV management: The road to success. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2024 Jul 13;201:104444. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39002789. Read here.

Tonorezos E, Devasia T, Mariotto AB, Mollica MA, Gallicchio L, Green P, Doose M, Brick R, Streck B, Reed C, de Moor JS. Prevalence of cancer survivors in the United States. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2024 Jul 13:djae135. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39002121. Read here.

Larsen RF, Jarden M, Minet LR, Frølund UC, Hermann AP, Breum L, Möller S, Abildgaard N. Exercise in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma: A randomized controlled trial of effects on physical function, physical activity, lean body mass, bone mineral density, pain, and quality of life. Eur J Haematol. 2024 Sep;113(3):298-309. PMID: 38717071. Read here. 

Papers appropriate for this special issue will examine exercise after a cancer diagnosis and report a clinical cancer outcome (e.g., cell/tumor growth, tumor response, disease recurrence, progression, death from cancer).

The deadline for submitting papers for this special issue is November 1, 2024.

This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) NOT-CA-24-073 promotes studies examining the sustainability of TRE and the potential impact it may have on obesity and cancer across the cancer continuum. 

Multiple principal investigators with the appropriate expertise are encouraged to apply. The first deadline is September 26, 2024.

This Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) NOT-CA-24-074 supports applications improving diet and/or physical activity assessment biomarker development for evaluating lifestyle-based cancer prevention and interception approaches across diverse settings. 

Multiple principal investigators with the appropriate expertise are encouraged to apply. The first deadline is October 5, 2024.

Implementing Patient-Reported Outcomes and Psychosocial Interventions in Diverse Communities of Cancer Survivors Webinar

Revisions to the NIH Fellowship Application & Review Process

12th International Symposium on In Vivo Body Composition Studies 

Moving Beyond 2025: Unveiling the Transformative Role of Physical Activity in the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer 

Nutrition 2025

American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2025 Annual Meeting 

Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) 2025 Annual Meeting 

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