"There are various goals of the ENERGY study," Rock said. "First, we are aiming for weight loss and maintenance among all 800 subjects, with a primary hypothesis that they will achieve an average weight reduction of at least seven percent of initial weight. We're also assessing the impact of the intervention on their quality of life, particularly physical functioning and fatigue." She added that the researchers will also conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis that includes an assessment of the impact of the intervention on medical co-existing conditions.

The investigators have strategically designed the ENERGY study to lead to an expanded full trial of 2,500 women. If the eventual full trial can document lower breast cancer recurrence risk, it would provide evidence to support weight loss management for breast cancer survivors as a new standard of clinical care.

"The ENERGY Study has great potential to have a major impact on clinical management and outcomes after a diagnosis of breast cancer," Rock said. "If the improvements in psychosocial and medical co-morbidities that we expect to find can be documented in this trial, this finding could itself change the norms of clinical practice and set a new aspect of care for breast cancer survivors after initial treatment."

SOURCE University of California, San Diego School of Medicine