Exercise Recommendations for the Management of Symptoms Clusters Resulting From Cancer and Cancer Treatments.
Karen M Mustian, Calvin L Cole, Po Ju Lin and 6 others
PMID 27776835WHAT IT FOUND
Exercise is recommended for cancer patients and survivors with symptom clusters; oncology nurses should discuss activity and refer to qualified exercise professionals.
Physical therapists can prescribe aerobic, resistance, stretching, yoga or tai chi.
Key findings
01The review states that exercise is safe and effective for cancer- and treatment-related symptoms, including symptom clusters, and should be recommended for patients and survivors experiencing symptoms.
02Oncology nurses should routinely discuss exercise and make referrals to qualified exercise specialists, because survivors want providers to initiate these discussions and patients are more likely to follow advice from their physician or nurse.
03The paper recommends progressing to 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise weekly, plus 20 to 30 minutes of strength training 2 to 3 times weekly and daily stretching, with individualized risk assessment and qualified supervision.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review, not an original study; it reports no participants, methods, or results of its own. It cites prior literature but does not describe how papers were found or selected. Claims about exercise safety and efficacy are summaries of cited studies, not new evidence from this paper. Exercise recommendations depend on individual risk, contraindications, and medical assessment, so they cannot be applied uniformly. The supplied text gives prevalence numbers for some symptoms but not a single effect size for exercise.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. No funding source is stated in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as permission to start vigorous exercise without assessment. It says risk and contraindications must be identified, and most oncology patients and survivors will need medical assessment because their exercise risk is moderate to high.