Easing psychological symptoms in women with breast cancer through moderate aerobic exercise
Official title: Characterization of the Symptom Experience of Patients with Cutaneous Melanoma Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11328765 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project finds out if a regular program of moderate aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety and related psychological symptoms in women undergoing breast cancer treatment while exploring personal, neighborhood, and blood-based (epigenetic) factors that might explain who benefits most.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 4R00CA286967-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11328765 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women receiving treatment for breast cancer who can do moderate aerobic activity, are willing to attend exercise visits, complete surveys, and provide blood samples would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who cannot safely perform moderate exercise, who have other active cancers or severe comorbidities, or who are not receiving breast cancer treatment are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be invited to join a randomized clinical trial where some women follow a supervised, moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program while others receive usual care. Researchers will collect surveys about mood and functioning, take blood samples to look at DNA methylation (epigenetic marks), and measure personal and neighborhood factors like age, education, and area-level deprivation. The team will link changes in symptoms to the exercise program and to epigenomic and social determinants to see how these pieces fit together. The goal is to learn which patients benefit most so future interventions can be tailored.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to targeted exercise programs and biological markers to help reduce psychological symptoms and improve quality of life for women with breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior trials have shown exercise can improve mood and quality of life in breast cancer patients, but combining neighborhood factors and DNA methylation to explain who benefits is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
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University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harris, Carolyn Stigge — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Harris, Carolyn Stigge
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.