Thesis abstract:

Exercise before and after chemotherapy infusion has been well established to reduce chemotherapy-related side effects such as fatigue as well as improving quality of life. However, most cancer patients do not meet exercise guidelines during treatment. Chemotherapy infusion may provide a window of time for patients to exercise in a supervised and safe environment. Additionally, patients may also benefit from physiological changes to chemotherapy delivery by altering blood flow. The aims of this research are to: 1) evaluate the impact of aerobic exercise on tumour physiology in pre-clinical and clinical studies, 2) investigate whether cardiorespiratory fitness effects tumour blood flow, 3) determine the exercise intensity that most improves tumour blood flow and 4) investigate the effects of intra-infusion aerobic exercise on chemotherapy symptoms and physical activity behavior. This research will inform future studies investigating the effect of aerobic exercise on chemotherapy efficacy to improve patient outcomes.