Can the Six-Minute Walk Test Be Used to Individualize Physical Activity Intensity in Patients with Breast Cancer?

Nicole Tubiana-Mathieu; Thibault Cornette; Stephane Mandigout; Sophie Leobon; François Vincent; Laurence Venat; Elise Deluche

doi:10.3390/cancers13225851

Can the Six-Minute Walk Test Be Used to Individualize Physical Activity Intensity in Patients with Breast Cancer?

Cancers (Basel). 2021 Nov 22;13(22):5851. doi: 10.3390/cancers13225851.

Authors

Nicole Tubiana-Mathieu^{1

2}, Thibault Cornette^{1

3}, Stephane Mandigout⁴, Sophie Leobon¹, François Vincent³, Laurence Venat¹, Elise Deluche^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Oncology, CHU de Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France.
² CAPTuR, EA3842, Faculty of Medicine, University Hospital, 87000 Limoges, France.
³ Department of Physiology, University Hospital, 87000 Limoges, France.
⁴ HAVAE, EA6310, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Limoges, 87000 Limoges, France.

Abstract

Background: Adapted physical activity (APA) aids breast cancer patients. It is necessary to use an adapted target heart rate (HR) when prescribing exercise intensity.

Methods: In total, 138 patients previously included in two published randomized clinical trials underwent the CPET and 6MWT before and after adjuvant therapy. Of these patients, 85 had performed APA, and 53 had received only the usual therapy. HRs were recorded during the two tests.

Results: Before starting chemotherapy, good agreement (intraclass correlation (ICC) 0.69; confidence interval at 95% IC_0.95 (0.591-0.769); p < 0.001) and a moderate correlation were evident between the 6MWT-HR and ventilatory threshold HR of the CPET (r = 0.70; p < 0.001). Good agreement and a high positive correlation were noted only in the group who engaged in APA (ICC 0.77; IC_0.95 (0.659-0.848); p < 0.001; r = 0.8; p < 0.01); moderate agreement and a moderate positive correlation were apparent in the control group (ICC 0.57; IC_0.95 (0.329-0.74); p < 0.001; r = 0.6; p < 0.01). The correlations were independent of age and body mass index.

Conclusions: The 6MWT-HR can be used to prescribe exercise intensity for breast cancer patients both before and after specific treatment with concomitant APA.

Keywords: adapted physical activity; breast cancer; cardiopulmonary test; home training; six-minute walk test.