Dance Intervention in Breast Cancer Treatment

NCT07553702 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: 77648524.4.0000.5087
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 28
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to evaluate the effects of a dance program on physical and psychological outcomes in women undergoing breast cancer treatment. It is a randomized clinical trial with participants allocated into two groups: Dance Program Group (DPG) and Control Group (CG). The DPG will engage in 50-minute dance sessions twice weekly for 12 weeks, while the CG will maintain their regular routines. Exercise intensity will be monitored using heart rate and the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale (6-20), recorded 25 minutes into each session based on musical tempo (slow, moderate, fast). Primary and secondary outcomes include pain, fatigue, quality of life, balance, functional and motor capacity, flexibility, self-esteem, sleep, anxiety, and depression. Assessments will occur at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Data will be analyzed using multivariate models to explore group, time, and interaction effects, with significance set at 5% (SPSS version 24.0). The intervention is expected to mitigate adverse effects of cancer treatment and promote improvements in health and well-being across multiple dimensions.

Conditions

Breast - Female; Breast Cancer Females; Breast Cancer

Keywords

Neoplasia; Dance; Pain; Fatigue; Quality of Life

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Pain evaluation

  The instrument used to assess pain will be the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI). The questions using a numerical scale from 0 to 10. The higher scores mean a worse pain and lower scores mean a better pain or absence of pain.

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• Fatigue

  The Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS-P) will be the multidimensional instrument used to assess fatigue. It uses a score of 4 as the cutoff point (a score equal to or less than 4 indicates no fatigue; a score greater than 4 indicates the presence of fatigue).

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• General quality of life evaluation

  The instrument used to assess Quality of life will be the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). The questions are using a numerical scale from 0 to 100 for scales. In the functional and global scales the EORTC-BR 30, the higher scores mean a better quality of life and lower scores mean a worse quality of life. Unlike, in the symptom scale EORTC-BR 30, the higher scores mean a worse quality of life and lower scores mean a better quality of life.

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• Quality of life specifically for breast cancer

  The instrument used to assess Quality of life specifically for breast cancer will be the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-BR). The questions are using a numerical scale from 0 to 100 for scales. In the functional scale the EORTC-BR 23, the higher scores mean a better quality of life and lower scores mean a worse quality of life. Unlike, in the symptom scale the EORTC-BR 23, the higher scores mean a worse quality of life and lower scores mean a better quality of life.

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Balance

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• Functional capacity

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• Motor Capacity

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• Flexibility

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

• Self- esteem

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 12 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Dance Program Group (DPG)

EXPERIMENTAL

The intervention will consist of 12 weeks of in-person dance classes, held twice a week on non-consecutive mornings, totaling 24 sessions of up to 50 minutes each.

Behavioral: Dance Program Group

Control Group (CG)

NO INTERVENTION

The participants in the Control Group (CG) will receive usual care. They will not take part in the intervention, participating only in the questionnaires and tests during the evaluation periods at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks.

Interventions

Dance Program Group BEHAVIORAL

The intervention will consist of 12 weeks of in-person dance classes, held twice a week on non-consecutive mornings, totaling 24 sessions of up to 50 minutes each. Music will be pre-selected and categorized into slow (40-72 bpm), moderate (72-120 bpm), and fast (120-208 bpm) tempos, using the Rhythmo app. Exercise intensity will be monitored by heart rate (Polar® monitor) and measured 25 minutes into each session (%HRmax = 220 - age), targeting 64-95% of maximum heart rate. Perceived exertion will also be assessed using the Borg Scale (6-20). Each session will include a 10-minute warm-up, a 30-minute main activity with music of varying intensities, and a 5-10-minute cool-down.

Also known as: Dance Intervention in Breast Cancer Treatment, Effects of Dance on Breast Cancer Care, Effects of a Dance-Based Intervention on Women Receiving Treatment for Breast Cancer

Dance Program Group (DPG)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Women aged 18 years or older;
• Diagnosed with breast cancer;
• Undergoing adjuvant breast cancer treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and/or hormone therapy);
• Women at least 3 months post-surgery.

You may not qualify if:

• To have another type of cancer;
• To have a cognitive impairment or injury that prevents the ability to complete physical assessments or fill out questionnaires.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Federal University of Maranhao: lead

Study Sites (1)

Federal University of Maranhao

São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Breast Neoplasms; Neoplasms; Pain; Fatigue

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neoplasms by Site; Breast Diseases; Skin Diseases; Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor in the Graduate Program in Physical Education at the Federal University of Maranhão, São Luís - MA, Brazil.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 22, 2025
• First Posted: April 28, 2026
• Study Start: April 20, 2025
• Primary Completion: April 28, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2026
• Last Updated: April 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BR (1)