The aim of this study was to examine the health-related effects of exercise in patients with pancreatic cancer (PanCa) through a systematic review of current evidence. Studies were obtained through searching PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and Cochrane Library databases with additional hand searches. All intervention-based studies were included if it involved (1) adult patients with PanCa, (2) exercise training, and (3) findings in quality of life, cancer-related fatigue, psychological distress, and physical function. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42020154684. Seven trials described in 9 publications were included consisting of 201 patients with early-stage and advanced PanCa. Participants were required to perform supervised and/or home-based, low- to moderate-intensity resistance and/or aerobic exercise for 12 to 35 weeks or duration of neoadjuvant therapy. There were no exercise-related adverse events with a reported retention rate of 71% to 90% and exercise attendance of 64% to 96%. The programs were consistently associated with improvements in cancer-related fatigue, psychological distress, and physical function, with mixed effects on quality of life. Exercise training seems to be safe and feasible and may have a beneficial effect on various physical and psychological outcomes in patients with PanCa. Further work with rigorous study designs is required to consolidate and advance current findings.
7 January 2022 in Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology
Background Strategies to prevent or attenuate the age-related decline in physical and physiological function and reduce chronic disease risk factors are of clinical importance. Objective To examine the health benefits of recreational soccer in middle-aged and older adults. Design Systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Data sources All available records up until 9 June 2017 in PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO and Cochrane Library databases. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies All randomised trials with or without a control group (randomised controlled trials or randomised uncontrolled trials) and non-randomised controlled trials that used recreational soccer, which includes small-sided soccer games, as the sole or principal intervention, and reported relevant effects in untrained/sedentary, healthy or unhealthy adults aged 40 years and above were included. Results Five trials described in 13 articles were included, which scored 6–9 out of 12 points on the modified Delphi quality rating scale. The duration was from 12 to 52 weeks, with various frequencies, volumes and game formats performed both outdoors and indoors with men and women. The trials indicate that recreational soccer may result in improvement in cardiovascular function, body composition and functional ability, although no significant changes were observed in postural balance. Conclusion Recreational soccer should be considered an alternative exercise modality for untrained, healthy or unhealthy middle-aged and older adults of both sexes to maintain an active lifestyle and mitigate a wide array of physical and physiological age-related changes.
1 November 2021 in International Journal of Radiation Oncology - Biology - Physics (IJROBP)
Radiation therapy is a commonly used treatment for prostate cancer; however, the side effects may negatively affect quality of life and cause patients to be less physically active. Although exercise has been shown to mitigate radiation therapy-related fatigue in men with prostate cancer during radiation therapy, other adverse effects of treatment such as physical deconditioning, urinary symptoms, or sexual dysfunction have not been systematically reviewed in this patient population. Thus, the purpose of this review was to investigate the effect of exercise on physical function and treatment-related side effects in men with prostate cancer undergoing radiation therapy. A systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases in December 2020. Included studies were randomized controlled trials examining the effects of aerobic and/or resistance exercise interventions on measures of physical function and treatment-related side effects in prostate cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Meta-analysis was performed on outcomes that were reported in 2 or more studies. Seven publications from 6 randomized controlled trials involving 391 prostate cancer patients were included. Patients had stage I to IV cancer with a Gleason score of ≤6 to 10. Exercise resulted in consistent significant benefits for physical function in terms of cardiovascular fitness (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.31-1.36; P < .01) and muscle function (SMD, 1.30; 95% CI, 0.53-2.07; P < .01). Furthermore, there was a significant positive effect of exercise on urinary toxicity (SMD, -0.71; 95% CI, -1.25 to -0.18; P < .01), but not on intestinal (P = .21) or hormonal toxicity (P = .41), depression (P = .45), or sleep symptoms (P = .88). Based on the current evidence, exercise in men with prostate cancer undergoing radiation therapy improves physical function and mitigates urinary toxicity. The effect of exercise on other treatment-related side effects are less clear and require further investigation.
Physical inactivity is a major concern in cancer patients despite the established preventative and therapeutic effects of regular physical exercise for this patient group. Sport not only plays an important role in supporting the development and maintenance of a physically active lifestyle but also is increasingly used as a health promotion activity in various populations. Nevertheless, the potential of sport as an effective strategy in the prevention and management of cancer has gained little attention. Based on the scant evidence to date, participation of cancer patients in supervised, well-tailored sport programs appears to be safe and feasible and is associated with an array of physical and psychological benefits. We propose that sport participation may serve as an alternative strategy in the prevention of cancer and sport medicine in the management of cancer. As with the traditional exercise modes, benefits derived from sport participation will be dependent on the sport undertaken and the physical/physiological, motor, and cognitive demands required. To this end, further work is required to develop a solid evidence base in this field so that targeted sport participation can be recommended for cancer patients.
Introduction: Adequate, transparent, and consistent reporting of adverse events (AEs) in exercise oncology trials is critical to assess the safety of exercise interventions for people following a cancer diagnosis. However, there is little understanding of how AEs are reported in exercise oncology trials. Thus, we propose to conduct a scoping review to summarise and evaluate current practice of reporting of AEs in published exercise oncology trials with further exploration of factors associated with inadequate reporting of AEs. The study findings will serve to inform the need for future research on standardisation of the definition, collection, and reporting of AEs for exercise oncology research.Materials and Methods: The ADVANCE (ADverse eVents reporting of clinicAl trials iN exerCise oncology rEsearch) study will be conducted and reported following the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews guideline. Any type of clinical trial involving an exercise intervention in people living with and beyond cancer with a full-text report in English will be included. Six electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science Core Collection, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL Plus) will be searched for studies. Two independent review authors will assess eligibility of identified studies, chart data using pre-established extraction forms, and evaluate adequacy of reporting of AEs-related data against a 20-item scoring checklist derived from the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) harms extension. We will summarise results using descriptive and inferential analysis methods.Ethics and Dissemination: No ethics approval will be required to conduct the ADVANCE study owing to inclusion of only published data. The study results will be disseminated via publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and internationa conferences.Systematic Review Registration: Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/NXEJD/ (doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/NXEJD).