Study at UBC Okanagan seeks breast cancer survivors
OKANAGAN – A researcher from UBC Okanagan is hoping to find survivors of breast cancer for a study on the effects of increasing physical exercise after treatment and rehabilitation.
Cristina Caperchione, an assistant professor with the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, is leading ProjectMOVE which has secured a $200,000 research grant from the Canadian Cancer Society.
“Project MOVE is about empowerment and ownership, providing these women with the opportunity to optimise their own strengths and knowledge and at the same time, reduce health concerns that come up post breast cancer treatment,” Caperchione says.
As an incentive, study subjects can invite groups of eight to 12 female friends and neighbours to work out with them. The group can apply to for micro grants of up to $2,000 to be used for training and equipment.
No one exercise is preferred, Caperchione says, and can include anything from cycling to Zumba classes, although the program must be within the physical abilities of all the group participants.
“Our goal is to make physical activity more accessible and enjoyable for female breast cancer survivors living in the Okanagan,” she adds.
For more information about how to join the research project, contact ProjectMOVE at 250-807-9907 or email Marriane Clark at marianne.clark@ubc.ca. Applications for the micro-grant are available here after June 1.
To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
One response
This is pretty interesting as this study was done 20 years ago by Dr. Don McKenzie. His tests concluded that, indeed, physical exercise is a great benefit to post-breast cancer treatment patients. His original testing put a group of patients in a dragonboat, twice weekly practices for several months. Paddling became their key to health and happiness and this original crew founded Abreast In A Boat, the world’s first breast cancer dragonboat team. http://www.abreastinaboat.com There are now about 160 teams in the world.Abreast In A Boat | Our Race Against Breast Cancer ABREASTINABOAT.COM Carol Short This is pretty interesting as this study was done 20 years ago by Dr. Don McKenzie. His tests concluded that, indeed, physical exercise is a great benefit to post-breast cancer treatment patients. His original testing put a group of patients in a dragonboat, twice weekly practices for several months. Paddling became their key to health and happiness and this original crew founded Abreast In A Boat, the world’s first breast cancer dragonboat team. http://www.abreastinaboat.com There are now about 160 teams in the world.