Assessing the Impact of Cancer Treatment on Autonomic Nervous System Function of Cancer Survivors

Dysautonomia is an umbrella term referring to a group of several medical conditions that cause a malfunction of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). Cancer can affect the ANS in a variety of ways and while cancer therapies have increased patient survival rates, their side effects (such as cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity) can lead to autonomic nervous and cardiovascular system dysfunction. Autonomic dysfunction is an emerging, but also poorly understood topic. While it has been suggested as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in breast cancer patients, there are gaps in the current knowledge and more research is needed to identify severity, predictors, and clinical correlates of cancer-related dysautonomia. Further, more research is needed to define beneficial interventions, e.g., exercise programs appear to promote physiological changes helping to reduce the decline of the autonomic modulation. This study aims to use a combination of frequent patient self-reports and continuous physiological measurements (based on wearable sensor technologies) to monitor dysautonomia in cancer patients and to analyze the effectiveness of various exercise programs.