BACKGROUND: Approximately 9.8 million cancer survivors are alive in the United States today. Enthusiasm for prescribing physical activity for cancer survivors depends on evidence regarding whether physical activity during or after completion of treatment results in improved outcomes such as cardiorespiratory fitness, fatigue, symptoms, quality of life, mental health, or change in body size. METHODS: A systematic qualitative and quantitative review of the English language scientific literature identified controlled trials of physical activity interventions in cancer survivors during and after treatment. Data from 32 studies were abstracted, weighted mean effect sizes (WMES) were calculated from the 22 high-quality studies, and a systematic level of evidence criteria was applied to evaluate 25 outcomes. RESULTS: There was qualitative and quantitative evidence of a small to moderate effect of physical activity interventions on cardiorespiratory fitness (WMES = 0.51 and 0.65 during and after treatment respectively, P < 0.01), physiologic outcomes and symptoms during treatment (WMES = 0.28, P < 0.01 and 0.39, P < 0.01, respectively), and vigor posttreatment (WMES = 0.83, P = 0.04). Physical activity was well tolerated in cancer survivors during and after treatment, but the available literature does not allow conclusions to be drawn regarding adverse events from participation. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity improves cardiorespiratory fitness during and after cancer treatment, symptoms and physiologic effects during treatment, and vigor posttreatment. Additional physical activity intervention studies are needed to more firmly establish the range and magnitude of positive effects of physical activity among cancer survivors.
BACKGROUND: Approximately 9.8 million cancer survivors are alive in the United States today. Enthusiasm for prescribing physical activity for cancer survivors depends on evidence regarding whether physical activity during or after completion of treatment results in improved outcomes such as cardiorespiratory fitness, fatigue, symptoms, quality of life, mental health, or change in body size. METHODS: A systematic qualitative and quantitative review of the English language scientific literature identified controlled trials of physical activity interventions in cancer survivors during and after treatment. Data from 32 studies were abstracted, weighted mean effect sizes (WMES) were calculated from the 22 high-quality studies, and a systematic level of evidence criteria was applied to evaluate 25 outcomes. RESULTS: There was qualitative and quantitative evidence of a small to moderate effect of physical activity interventions on cardiorespiratory fitness (WMES = 0.51 and 0.65 during and after treatment respectively, P < 0.01), physiologic outcomes and symptoms during treatment (WMES = 0.28, P < 0.01 and 0.39, P < 0.01, respectively), and vigor posttreatment (WMES = 0.83, P = 0.04). Physical activity was well tolerated in cancer survivors during and after treatment, but the available literature does not allow conclusions to be drawn regarding adverse events from participation. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity improves cardiorespiratory fitness during and after cancer treatment, symptoms and physiologic effects during treatment, and vigor posttreatment. Additional physical activity intervention studies are needed to more firmly establish the range and magnitude of positive effects of physical activity among cancer survivors.
Authors: Roger T Anderson; Gretchen G Kimmick; Thomas P McCoy; Judith Hopkins; Edward Levine; Gary Miller; Paul Ribisl; Shannon L Mihalko Journal: J Cancer Surviv Date: 2011-12-10 Impact factor: 4.442
Authors: Cindy L Carter; Georgiana Onicescu; Kathleen B Cartmell; Katherine R Sterba; James Tomsic; Anthony J Alberg Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2011-09-20 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: Shabbir M H Alibhai; Sara O'Neill; Karla Fisher-Schlombs; Henriette Breunis; Joseph M Brandwein; Narhari Timilshina; George A Tomlinson; Heidi D Klepin; S Nicole Culos-Reed Journal: Leuk Res Date: 2012-06-21 Impact factor: 3.156
Authors: Tracie L Miller; Stuart R Lipsitz; Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik; Andrea S Hinkle; Louis S Constine; M Jacob Adams; Carol French; Cynthia Proukou; Amy Rovitelli; Steven E Lipshultz Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2010-07-20 Impact factor: 4.254
Authors: Raheem J Paxton; Pratibha Nayak; Wendell C Taylor; Shine Chang; Kerry S Courneya; Leslie Schover; Kelly Hodges; Lovell A Jones Journal: J Cancer Surviv Date: 2013-09-17 Impact factor: 4.442
Authors: Anne M May; Irene Korstjens; Ellen van Weert; Bart van den Borne; Josette E H M Hoekstra-Weebers; Cees P van der Schans; Ilse Mesters; Jan Passchier; Diederick E Grobbee; Wynand J G Ros Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2008-10-25 Impact factor: 3.603