TOPIC

Oncology research

Everything we have read on oncology. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

332 PAPERS · PAGE 7 OF 7 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOther2025Physical and cognitive characteristics of a group exercise program for children treated for brain tumors.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesIn children treated for brain tumors, a group exercise program mixed games and sports. Most active time was cardiovascular, with medium or high cognitive demand; high cognitive-demand sports had less continuous movement.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of physical therapy techniques for cancer-related pain: a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPhysical therapy interventions like electroacupuncture and structured exercise reduced pain and neuropathy symptoms in cancer patients, but results were inconsistent across trials. Evidence is low certainty and applies mainly to chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, not all cancer pain.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Interventions supporting the empowerment of parent carers of children with neurodisability and other long-term health conditions: A scoping review.Developmental medicine and child neurologyMost interventions for parent carers target the carer's own behaviour, not the health system. Few involve carers in design or report implementation details. Clinicians should look for existing programmes rather than creating new ones, but beware of poor descriptions.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation of The Cancer Dyspnoea Scale - CDS into Brazilian Portuguese.CoDASA Brazilian Portuguese version of the Cancer Dyspnoea Scale is now available. Forty head and neck cancer patients completed it without difficulty, and no one needed the "not applicable" option. The wording was adjusted after patients found "very much" confusing.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Clinical Determinants of Functional Independence at Discharge in Patients With Spinal Cord Dysfunction Due to Metastatic Spinal Tumors.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationIn patients with spinal metastases, only 23 of 153 achieved functional independence at discharge. Rapid tumor growth, severe motor impairment, high inflammation, and persistent pain predicted dependence. Neurologic level and spinal instability did not. Early prognostic assessment should guide goals from intensive training to supportive care.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Swallowing and QoL Outcomes, Patient Experience and Treatment Related Priorities in Recurrent Oropharyngeal Cancer (rOPC)- a Mixed Method Study.DysphagiaSwallowing function deteriorated over six months despite patient-reported scores appearing stable. Patients prioritised survival over function, but shifted focus to quality of life when cure became unlikely. Treatment decisions must account for this dynamic, ensuring patients understand the functional trade-offs before choosing curative paths.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Cisplatin Differentially Damages Mammalian Vestibular End Organs.Ear and hearingCisplatin damaged the saccule in mice, causing progressive balance issues and hair cell loss, while sparing the utricle and semicircular canals. Human tissue reports matched this pattern at high doses. Standard balance tests may miss this specific injury, suggesting the need for saccule-focused screening.
• PTOTOther2025Validation of the Brazilian Version of the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) for Women After Breast Cancer Surgery.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyThe Brazilian WHODAS 2.0 reliably measures disability in women after breast cancer surgery. Total scores are stable over time and correlate strongly with quality of life. Use it to track function, but note that sexual activity items are often left unanswered.
• PTOTCase Report2025The treatment efficacy of complete decongestive therapy for breast cancer-related lymphedema from the perspective of skin mechanical properties: a case study.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne woman with breast cancer-related lymphedema showed improved skin elasticity, grip strength, and quality of life after two weeks of complete decongestive therapy. This single case suggests skin measurements can track change, but does not prove the treatment works.
• PTOTQualitative2026Early Needs Assessment in Patients With Non-Specific Symptoms of Cancer: An Explorative Study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyPatients and therapists found early needs assessment after cancer diagnosis helpful for planning daily life support. Therapists contacting patients directly by phone increased assessments from 11 to 28. The paper describes experiences, not treatment effectiveness.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2026Feasibility of transcranial magnetic stimulation adjuvant therapy for chronic respiratory diseases: a narrative review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesTMS is a safe, non-invasive tool for assessing diaphragm nerve pathways and is being explored as an add-on therapy for breathlessness in chronic lung disease. Current evidence is mechanistic and preclinical, with no large clinical trials yet proving it improves respiratory outcomes in these patients.
• PTPilot2026Enhancing hand function in patients with hematologic malignancies: a novel knitted glove approach.Journal of physical therapy scienceWearing a knitted glove during hospital treatment did not make hands stronger. Only a block-moving dexterity test improved, and just two of six patients improved enough to matter. No control group, so the glove may not be the reason.
• PTSystematic Review2026Ethical and bioethical issues in physical therapy: A systematic scoping review.Physical therapyAcross 108 studies, physical therapists are described leaning on intuition more than ethics codes, and feeling moral distress when time, staffing or rules block the care they think right. No treatment was tested; cancer care, digital health and equity are barely studied.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2026Lorazepam for post-operative pediatric cerebellar mutism syndrome: A case report.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineOne 11-year-old boy with post-operative cerebellar mutism after medulloblastoma surgery gained 40 WeeFIM units the week after lorazepam was started, having gained 1 the week before, and lost ground when it was stopped. Four other drugs were on board as well.
• PTOTSystematic Review2026Varied effectiveness of outpatient rehabilitation interventions in reducing long-term complications following childhood brain tumours: a systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesAfter treatment for a childhood brain tumour, rehabilitation most often helped movement: four of the five studies measuring balance, coordination, motor skills or daily living found gains, though every study was small. Cognitive outcomes did not improve in any study.
• PTMeta-Analysis2026Effects of Resistance Training on Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Meta-Analysis.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationResistance training after breast cancer surgery lowered the share of women who developed arm lymphedema: 12% versus 23% of controls across 38 trials, with fewer cases of moderate-to-severe swelling. Subgroup analyses favoured short, frequent sessions combined with compression or taping.
• PTSurvey2026Exploring Autistic People's Experiences of and Attitudes Towards Cervical Screening: A Mixed-Methods Study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceQuestionnaire scores for pain, sensory issues and communication did not separate autistic adults who went for cervical screening from those who delayed or never went. Their own words describe confusing letters, stressful phone booking and past healthcare that made the appointment feel unsafe.
• PTSystematic Review2023Efficacy of kinesio taping on upper limb volume reduction in patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicineKinesio taping did not reduce arm swelling better than compression bandages or garments across seven randomised trials, and in the largest trial it came last of five methods. It was rated the most comfortable option. The authors call the evidence weak.
• PTMeta-Analysis2023Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions on Return to Work After a Cancer Diagnosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of occupational rehabilitationCombining four of the eight trials, exercise helped more cancer survivors return to work than usual care, but only two individual studies showed a significant benefit, and both trials where return to work was the main outcome found none.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2022Systematic Review of Functional Outcomes in Cancer Rehabilitation.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost studies in this review found rehabilitation improved function for people with cancer, across daily activities, fatigue, walking, thinking and quality of life. But 102 of 362 (28%) found no significant benefit on their main outcome, and results could not be pooled.
• PTSystematic Review2022Feasibility and Safety of Physical Exercise to Preserve Bone Health in Men With Prostate Cancer Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy: A Systematic Review.Physical therapyExercise looks feasible and safe for men having androgen deprivation therapy, though adherence varied from 43% to 96.3% and most trials recruited fewer men than planned. Thirty adverse events were attributed to exercise; three were severe, all during football training.
• PTPilot2024The effects of resistance exercise and leucine-enriched essential amino acid supplementation on muscle mass and physical function in post-gastrectomy patients: a pilot randomized controlled trial.Journal of physical therapy scienceMuscle mass fell by 5.46% with exercise plus a leucine supplement and 6.56% without, over three weeks after stomach cancer surgery. No difference between the groups. Leg strength improved only in the exercise group. Two quality-of-life scores rose there too.
• PTMeta-Analysis2021Effects of Preoperative Breathing Exercise on Postoperative Outcomes for Patients With Lung Cancer Undergoing Curative Intent Lung Resection: A Meta-analysis.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationBreathing exercises before lung cancer surgery shortened hospital stay by about 3.4 days and cut postoperative lung complications and pneumonia. Adding aerobic exercise helped more. Mortality, lung function and quality of life were unchanged.
• PTSystematic Review2024The effectiveness and safety of heat/cold therapy in adults with lymphoedema: systematic review.Disability and rehabilitationHeat at 39-42 °C for long sessions (1200-3600 minutes total) reduced limb circumference and volume in studies of lymphoedema, but most were small, unblinded before-and-after studies with no control group. The reviewers make no recommendation for practice.
• PTOTSystematic Review2022State of the science in inflammation and stroke recovery: A systematic review.Annals of physical and rehabilitation medicineCRP and IL-6 in the first 24 hours after stroke are associated with worse functional recovery at 1 year. Twelve weeks of resistive training did not increase inflammation in 20 subacute patients. Evidence is preliminary; studies are small.
• PTQualitative2026How people with cancer experience the ethical dimensions of physiotherapy in cancer rehabilitation: a qualitative interview study.Archives of physiotherapyCancer patients in physiotherapy reported feeling excluded from treatment decisions and held back by caution they could not question. They valued therapists who adapted to their daily state and explained the reasoning behind limits.
• PTOTCase Report2026Management of physical activity using a wearable device during intensive decongestive therapy in patient with lower limb lymphedema: a case report.Journal of physical therapy scienceOne woman with 20 years of bilateral leg lymphedema improved in limb volume, skin elasticity, mobility, and quality of life after two weeks of intensive CDT. A Fitbit tracked her steps toward a 7,000-step daily target. This is one person, not evidence the programme works.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Interprofessional training for undergraduate rehabilitation therapy students at the University of the Witwatersrand enhancing cancer rehabilitation in South Africa.The South African journal of physiotherapyFinal-year PT, OT and SLP students at one South African university reported high self-rated interprofessional competence after a single cancer case session. The two lowest items were avoiding jargon and giving feedback to peers.
• PTNarrative Review2026Bridging assessment, biomarkers, and interventions: progress in muscle health research.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesExercise remains the main intervention for muscle health, with multimodal programs (resistance, aerobic, balance) preferred for functional outcomes. Biomarkers alone did not predict muscle recovery, and standardized assessment protocols are still lacking.
• PTSystematic Review2026Morphological and Compositional Features of Lumbar Multifidus in Athletes with Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of sports physical therapyAthletes with chronic low back pain did not differ from pain-free peers in lumbar multifidus size, thickness, or fatty content. One study linked smaller multifidus to more lower-limb injuries; another linked fatty infiltration to lower return-to-sport odds.
• PTOther2026Individualized Physiotherapy Improves Quality of Life and Symptom Burden in Advanced Cancer: A Quasi-Experimental Study.Physiotherapy research international : the journal for researchers and clinicians in physical therapyIndividualized physiotherapy over two weeks improved quality of life and reduced fatigue, pain, and breathlessness in hospitalized stage IV cancer patients, but the non-randomized, unblinded design means we cannot be certain the gains came from the therapy alone.
• PTOther2026Association between comorbidity burden and subclinical cardiac dysfunction in cancer patients prior to chemotherapy.Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liaoAmong 110 cancer patients before their first chemotherapy, higher comorbidity scores and lower functional status were weakly but significantly associated with early heart muscle impairment. These routine scores may help prioritise who gets a baseline echo.