While survivorship for those diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer has continued to improve, the significant off target effects of adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy have become more prominent. These off-target effects include increased risk of cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, and decreased quality of life. Exercise initiated prior to chemotherapy induction and continued through treatment has promise in terms of preserving VO2peak and potentially mitigating the negative cardiovascular and neuropathic effects of chemotherapy. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of initiating exercise prior to any oncologic therapy and sustaining this exercise paradigm in newly diagnosed women with ovarian cancer who are undergoing initial surgery and chemotherapy.
The purpose of this study is to determine if exercise preconditioning can mitigate the off target effects of chemotherapy treatment on measures of cardiovascular function, peripheral neuropathy, and quality of life.