Thirty-second sit-to-stand test as an alternative for estimating peak oxygen uptake and 6-min walking distance in women with breast cancer: a cross-sectional study

Purpose To determine whether the 30-s sit-to-stand (30STS) test can be a valid tool for estimating and stratifying peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and 6-min walking distance (6MWD) in women with breast cancer. Methods This cross-sectional study uses data from the ONCORE randomized controlled trial, including 120 women aged 18-70 years with early-stage breast cancer under treatment with anthracycline and/or anti-HER2 antibodies. Participant characteristics were collected at baseline and pooled data from functional assessment (30STS test, relative and absolute VO2peak, and 6MWD) were collected at baseline and post-intervention (comprehensive cardio-oncology rehabilitation program vs. usual care). Bivariate correlations and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to study the relationship between functional test variables. Results The number of repetitions in the 30STS test showed (i) a moderate correlation with relative VO2peak (ml/kg/min) (r=0.419; p < 0.001; n=126), (ii) a weak correlation with absolute VO2peak (ml/min) (r=0.241; p = 0.008; n=120), and (iii) a moderate correlation with the 6MWD (r= 0.440; p <0.001; n=85). The ONCORE equations obtained from the multivariate regression models allowed the estimation of VO2peak and 6MWD (r(2) = 0.390; r(2) = 0.261, respectively) based on the 30STS test, and its stratification into tertiles (low, moderate, and high). Conclusion The 30STS test was found to be a useful tool to estimate VO2peak and/or 6MWD in women with early-stage breast cancer. Its use may facilitate the assessment and stratification of functional capacity in this population for the implementation of therapeutic exercise programs if cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) or 6MWT are not available.

Automated summary

This study aimed to investigate the validity of the 30-s sit-to-stand (30STS) test as a tool for estimating and stratifying peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and 6-min walking distance (6MWD) in women with breast cancer. The results showed that the number of repetitions in the 30STS test had moderate correlations with relative VO2peak, weak correlation with absolute VO2peak, and moderate correlation with 6MWD. The study concluded that the 30STS test can be a useful tool for estimating VO2peak and/or 6MWD in women with early-stage breast cancer.