Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common diagnosis of malignant diseases worldwide. The survival rate for early-stage breast cancer exceeds 90%; however, the quality of life of breast cancer survivors is diminished due to the lasting effects of treatment, worsened psychosocial well-being, and increased risk of concurrent health issues and breast cancer recurrence. Nearly 40% of breast cancer patients experience fatigue, psychosocial problems, depression, and anxiety. Within 5 years after treatment completion, approximately 30% of patients experience a decrease in quality of life. According to research, tailored physical activity is the most effective. Dance is a form of physical activity suitable for women with breast cancer as it helps them become aware of, express, and accept their bodies. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis was to determine, based on a review of professional and scientific literature, the effect of different forms of dance on the quality of life in women with breast cancer. Methods: For this thesis, I employed a descriptive method with a review of professional and scientific literature. Literature search was conducted electronically using the PubMed and PEDro databases. A combination of English keywords was used: "breast cancer" AND "dance". The databases were searched for articles published from January 2005 to December 2023. Results: Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 9 studies involving a total of 567 participants, of whom 491 successfully completed the study. Exercise programs lasted from 5 to 16 weeks, once to five times per week, with exercise sessions lasting from 60 to 90 minutes. All included studies reported positive effects of dance on women with breast cancer. Six studies found statistically significant improvements in quality of life. Five studies recorded statistically significant improvements in fatigue among women with breast cancer. One study found statistically significant improvement in sleep quality. Discussion and conclusion: Dance is a suitable form of exercise for women with breast cancer as it improves symptoms of fatigue and quality of life. Dance as a group exercise brings additional positive effects on participants' motivation for physical activity, self-confidence, mood, sense of belonging to the group, and emotional interaction. Additionally, dance contributes to the improvement of depression, stress, and physical function. In the future, further research is needed to more thoroughly examine the impact of dance on women with breast cancer.
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