Can exercise help improve the quality of life of colorectal and breast cancer survivors during the recovery process? That’s the question researchers at The Miriam Hospital’s Centers for Preventive and Behavioral Medicine are hoping to answer as they continue to investigate the role of physical activity in cancer recovery.

Healing Moves and Moving Forward With Life are two cancer survivorship studies currently underway at The Miriam Hospital focusing on the positive effects of physical activity on physical functioning, fitness, mood, quality of life and undesirable side effects from cancer treatments. Bernardine Pinto, Ph.D., recently received an award from the New England Division of the American Cancer Society that highlighted her most recent cancer-related study, Healing Moves, which is funded by the National Cancer Institute. Moving Forward with Life is funded by the American Cancer Society.

Healing Moves study details:

• Men and women who have been diagnosed with Stage 0-III colorectal cancer within the past 10 years, and have completed treatment, are invited to participate. Volunteers must be in overall good health, over 18 years of age and not participating in regular physical activity.
• Eligible volunteers will receive one of two telephone-based programs. One focuses on health information, while the other focuses on helping survivors to become more physically active. Everyone will receive telephone support from a trained health educator.
• Volunteers will be asked to meet with researchers five times over the course of a year, be willing to participate in a treadmill walk test, complete questionnaires and receive periodic telephone calls.

Moving Forward With Life study details:

• Women who have been diagnosed with Stage 0-IV breast cancer within the past 10 years, and have completed treatment, are invited to participate. Volunteers must be in overall good health, over 18 years of age and not participating in regular physical activity.
• Eligible volunteers will receive a recommendation to exercise from physicians affiliated with the study.
• In addition, volunteers will receive one of two telephone-based programs. One focuses on health information, while the other focuses on helping survivors to become more physically active. Everyone will receive telephone support from a trained health educator.
• Volunteers will be asked to meet with researchers four times over the course of a year and must be willing to complete questionnaires and a physical activity assessment and receive periodic telephone calls.

Benefits of participating in these studies include:

• The ability to work at your own pace, and on your own time
• Home delivery of health and wellness information at no cost
• Personal attention from a trained health educator
• No weekly classes to attend
• Participants will receive incentives for their time

For more information on the Healing Moves study contact study staff at 401-793-8855 or visit: http://www.lifespan.org/behavmed/news/healingmoves/.

For more information on the Moving Forward With Life study contact study staff at 401-793-8123.