School of Medicine researcher presents at national breast cancer symposium

Linda Vona-Davis, PhD presented cancer survivorship research at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, December 9-13, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. The clinical trial was titled “Effect of a 12-week supervised physical activity and healthy eating program on body weight, functional capacity and serum biomarkers in survivors of triple-negative breast cancer: a randomized, controlled trial.”  Coauthors who participated in the funded project were Jame Abraham, Daniel Bonner, Diana Gilleland, Gerald Hobbs, Sobha Kurian, Mary Anne Yanosik and Anne Swisher. Participation in the Get Fit For The Fight® program of exercise and dietary counseling led to a loss of body fat and improved quality of life in survivors of triple-negative breast cancers. A reduction in body weight was also associated with favorable changes in serum adipokines which may reflect a shift in energy balance with intervention. Overall, exercise and healthy eating may be equally effective in this high-risk population as in other breast cancer survivors, and should be encouraged as a part of a cancer survivorship program. 

Support for this work came from the American Cancer Society, WVHEPC/EPSCoR EPS08-07 and the Oncology Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. Additional funds were provided through NIGMS NIH under grant numbers P30GM103488 and P20GM103434.