05/12/2025
UKONS25 — Understanding Fatigue in Metastatic Breast Cancer
And how small amounts of the right exercise can make a real difference
I had the privilege of speaking at UKONS25 this week about something many people with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer tell us is one of the hardest parts of treatment: cancer-related fatigue (CRF).
This is not “feeling tired.”
It’s a whole-body exhaustion that affects your energy, your thinking, your motivation, your confidence — and your ability to live the life you want.
To help explain what’s happening inside the body, we even brought a bit of fun to the session including a Star Wars–themed demo and a Tabata session with over 400 nurses!
Why?
Because sometimes the best way to understand the science is to feel it.
What we explained in simple terms
When you do small amounts of planned, moderate exercise (like walking at a steady pace, light resistance work, cycling, or short bursts of movement):
✨ Your muscles release special helpful chemicals (called myokines)
✨ These reduce inflammation in the body
✨ They help your muscles and energy systems work more efficiently
✨ They support your mood and motivation
✨ They can ease the heavy “whole body weight” feeling of CRF
This is very different from simply “being more active.”
Exercise you can dose, monitor and adjust just like any other part of your care.
💡 The hopeful part
New research now shows that the right kind of exercise done safely and at your pace can:
• lift fatigue
• improve quality of life
• support treatment tolerance
• help you feel more in control
• reconnect you with your body in a positive way
And importantly:
You don’t need to be fit. You don’t need a gym. You don’t need long sessions.
Tiny, repeatable amounts make a difference.
