Breast Cancer A Major Burden Of Disease For Females

Breast cancer is a major burden of disease for females in Australia. It is defined as the abnormal growth and uncontrolled division in breast cells resulting in cancerous cells that can invade and damage surrounding tissue (Montaruli et al., 2012). In Australia, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women and is the second highest cause of cancer related death (Bech et al., 2012). On average, one in eight women are expected to develop breast cancer in their lifetime (Bech et al., 2012;Yu et al., 2014). The incidence of breast cancer worldwide is increasing annually and it affects both males and females. Breast cancer is, therefore, an important priority area for the Australian health system and is crucial to understand†¦show more content†¦A qualitative study by Drageset et al (2015) described various women’s experiences following their first year after having primary breast cancer surgery. While some coping mechanisms can have a negative impact upo n health, those who ‘take action’, for example, by physical activity experience a positive effect by improving health and overcoming the negative side effects associated with chemotherapy (Loprinzi Cardinal, 2012). Physical activity is well-known for its positive effects on both health generally and emotions. The majority of chemotherapy patients do not engage in physical activity during treatment. It is a common misconception of patients that they are not permitted to exercise during this time (Backman et al., 2016). Other contributing factors include the adverse psychosocial and physical side effects associated with chemotherapy (Backman et al., 2016). The most commonly reported symptom of chemotherapy is fatigue. Aerobic exercise has been shown to be effective in mitigating chemotherapy related fatigue (Tian et al., 2016). Exercise has an effect on a variety of pathways that impact metabolism and inflammation and in turn decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines in the blood, mobilise visceral fat and increase glucose