“Steps to Health’: Customized Fitness Program for Survivors of Endometrial Cancer
January 11, 2007 by Gloria Gamat
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
A fitness program for survivors of endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterus) has been developed by researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to help them not only shed pounds but also keep cancer at bay.
Led by Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science, the five-year “Steps to Health” program aims to determine how well participants adhere to a personalized fitness plan, motivation both for beginning and sustaining regular workouts and the role of a support system in encouraging determination.
The study program, funded by the National Cancer Institute, is open to all endometrial cancer survivors who are six months post treatment from M. D. Anderson or elsewhere.
Following an initial 30-minute orientation, including an electrocardiogram, researchers will assess participants at baseline and again every two months using a series of health and quality-of-life questionnaires, as well as fitness tests on an exercise bike.
Depending on a participant’s current physical ability, exercise physiologists and fitness specialists then will create a customized plan for each survivor.
For more information about participating in the Steps to Health study, please contact Stacie Scruggs, research coordinator, at 713-745-4296.
Read the full press release.
