Poster Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2024

Barriers to prescribing and completing exercise during first-line treatment for ovarian cancer (#531)

Gabrielle C Gildea 1 , Rosa R Spence 1 2 , Tamara L Jones 1 3 , Melanie L Plinsinga 1 , Carolina X Sandler 1 4 5 , Sandi C Hayes 1 2
  1. Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  3. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
  4. School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Aims: To describe barriers to prescribing exercise in accordance with cancer-specific guidelines (150-minutes/week) and barriers to completing exercise during first-line treatment for ovarian cancer.

Methods: Participants with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer were eligible for the Exercise during Chemotherapy for Ovarian cancer trial. Women randomised to the exercise intervention group, participated in weekly telephone sessions with an exercise professional for the duration of their first-line chemotherapy. During these sessions, barriers to exercise (prescribed and completed) were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise barriers which were grouped according to the Social Ecological Model (i.e., physiological, psychosocial and cultural, and environmental barriers).

Results: Barrier data from 229 participants (mean age: 60±12-years; 74% diagnosed with stage III-IV disease) were analysed. Barriers to prescribing and completing exercise were reported in 44% and 88% of intervention weeks, respectively. The most common barrier type was ‘Impacts related to cancer and its treatment’, representing 58% of all barriers to prescribing exercise (reported by 84% of participants in a median of 27% of weeks), and 62% of all barriers to completing exercise (reported by 100% of participants in a median of 65% of weeks). Exercise professionals prescribed <150-minutes of exercise to 60% of participants (in a median of 20% of weeks) with the related barrier being ‘Gradual introduction or progression to exercise’.

Conclusions: Barriers to prescribing exercise in line with cancer-specific guidelines, as well as barriers to completing exercise are common for women receiving treatment for ovarian cancer. Therefore, additional support from healthcare professionals is required to assist this cohort to overcome barriers to exercise. However, further research is needed to understand which behaviour change techniques would provide optimal support, and subsequently increase exercise engagement for women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.