Physical Activity: A Systematic Review to Inform Nurse Recommendations During Treatment for Colorectal Cancer.
Rachel Hirschey, Jennifer Nance, Rebecca Hoover and 6 others
PMID 34800098WHAT IT FOUND
Physical activity during colorectal cancer treatment was generally safe and acceptable, but effects were mixed: quality of life, fatigue, sleep, and some physical outcomes may improve, while many changes were uncertain.
Key findings
01Physical activity increased in some studies and decreased in others, but studies where activity decreased had no control group.
02Quality of life improved in 9 of the 12 studies that measured it, but 2 single-group studies reported a decrease during the intervention.
03Fatigue and sleep may improve during treatment, and no negative effects on these outcomes were reported.
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
Study designs and outcomes varied so much that the authors could not combine them in a meta-analysis, so no single precise effect estimate is available. Several studies had no control group, so changes over time could not be separated from what would have happened without the programme. Many studies were small, with sample sizes ranging from 10 to 410. Only two studies reported race and ethnicity, and most participants were White, so the findings may not apply to patients who are most at risk, including Black patients.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that a specific exercise programme definitely improves quality of life, fatigue, or treatment outcomes. The review combined many different activity types and designs, some studies had no control group, and several positive findings were not statistically significant.