THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND PROTEIN -ENRICHED SUPPLEMENTATION IN WOMEN UNDERGOING BREAST CANCER

Resumo

ABSTRACT Introduction Cancer represents one of the greatest challenges to global public health, with breast cancer being the most common neoplasm among women. During oncological treatment, changes in body composition, especially the l oss of muscle mass, are associated with worsening functional capacity, increased fatigue, and reduced quality of life. In this context, nutritional supplementation combined with supervised physical exercise may contribute to the maintenance of body composi tion, improvement of functional capacity, and better treatment tolerance. Dual - energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and ultrasonography are tools used to assess and monitor changes in body composition. Furthermore, the correlation between imaging findings an d biomarkers of muscle and cardiac injury may expand the understanding of the effects of oncological treatment, assisting in the early identification of toxicities and in the clinical management of patients with breast cancer. Objective: To evaluate change s in body composition in women with breast cancer undergoing oncological treatment using DEXA and ultrasonography, correlating imaging findings with biomarkers of muscle and cardiac injury. Methods: Anthropometric and body composition assessments will be p erformed, including bone, fat, and lean mass measurements using DEXA and ultrasonography focused on the rectus femoris muscle. In addition, blood samples will be collected for the analysis of biomarkers of muscle and cardiac injury and their association wi th imaging findings. Expected Results: It is expected that the intervention involving nutritional supplementation and supervised physical exercise will contribute to the preservation of lean mass, improvement of functional capacity, and reduction of fatigu e during oncological treatment. It is also expected that DEXA and ultrasonography findings will be associated with muscle and cardiac biomarkers, assisting in the early identification of changes related to treatment toxicity. Hypothesis: Women with breast cancer undergoing oncological treatment who participate in supervised physical exercise combined with a high-protein nutritional supplementation program will demonstrate better preservation of body composition and improved prognostic outcomes compared to t he placebo group. In addition, DEXA and ultrasonography findings are expected to be associated with biomarkers of skeletal muscle and cardiac injury, enabling the early identification of treatment-related toxicity.