A Systematic Review of Exercise Systematic Reviews in the Cancer Literature (2005-2017).
Nicole L Stout, Jennifer Baima, Anne K Swisher and 2 others
PMID 28942909WHAT IT FOUND
Supervised moderate to vigorous exercise generally improved fatigue, fitness and function in adults with cancer, according to 51 reviews.
Exact dose and long-term effects remain unclear.
Key findings
01Exercise interventions showed overall positive benefits across cancer types and exercise forms, but the reviews were too heterogeneous to combine into one effect size.
02Supervised exercise, especially moderate to vigorous intensity, was generally safe and improved fitness and function; low intensity helped deconditioned people.
03Cancer-related fatigue was the most commonly studied impairment, and one high-quality review found exercise more impactful than medication or psychological treatment alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a review of systematic reviews, not a single trial, and the authors did not pool effects because the included reviews were too different. The included reviews were of moderate quality, with a mean AMSTAR score of 7.7 (± 2.0), median 8, and range 3 to 11. Many reviews poorly reported adherence, adverse events, and exact exercise dose. Some included reviews contained uncontrolled, observational, or case series studies, and control groups were often poorly described, which can introduce bias. The review excluded pediatric patients, advanced cancer, palliative care, behavioral interventions, and therapeutic exercise for swallowing or daily task retraining. Long-term carryover, survival, recurrence, and adherence after supervised programs were rarely reported. Findings were based on controlled trials that may have excluded unsafe patients, so real-world cancer populations may have more complications.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that a single exercise prescription works for every patient with cancer. The authors did not pool results because the included reviews varied widely, and many outcomes were mixed, so the finding supports supervised, individualized exercise rather than a fixed dose.