Doctors should prescribe exercise to more patients who are being treated for cancer, suggest researchers who recently looked at the links between physical activity and treatments – examining 80 systematic reviews on the subject.
They found that not only can more exercise help counter the side effects of treatments, but also boost mental well-being and promote sleep.
The scientists, led by Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, carried out an overarching review of the evidence available on the topic, and published their findings in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The study brought together data from 80 systematic reviews, which examined links between exercise and different types of cancer, reports The Independent.
Exercise, compared with usual care or no exercise, significantly reduced certain side effects linked to cancer treatment, heart and nerve damage, and brain fog, the umbrella review found. Those who exercise also reported having a better quality of life.
Various types of exercise during cancer treatment can help to manage obesity, lower body fat and improve lean body mass. Physical activity also regulates key indicators of health in the body – such as insulin and inflammation markers.
The research team also found that exercise “improves sleep quality, overall quality of life and psychological outcomes among people with cancer”.
“Our findings suggested that exercise greatly enhanced sleep quality, reduced insomnia, and alleviated anxiety and depression in people with cancer, thus improving their overall quality of life,” the authors wrote.
This could include yoga and general exercise to promote better sleep and tai chi for anxiety.
Meanwhile, the researchers found that exercise also improves the “physiological and social function” of people with cancer.
“These findings highlight the critical importance of maintaining an exercise regimen throughout the entire chemotherapy period,” they said.
“HIIT (high intensity interval training), aerobic exercise and resistance exercise significantly improved body strength and aerobic capacity, with HIIT notably alleviating cancer-related fatigue and pain.
“Given that cancer often reduces social interactions, our research showed that regular exercise improves social functionality, increases the likelihood of returning to work, and, notably, yoga significantly enhances overall social well-being.”
They called for more studies to help “refine” which types of exercise could be beneficial for different types of cancer.
“Exercise mitigates adverse outcomes associated with cancer and its treatments, such as cardiac toxicity, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy symptoms, cognitive impairment and dyspnoea,” they concluded.
Study details
Impact of exercise on health outcomes in people with cancer: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials
Xue-Li Bai, Yu Li, Zan-Fei Feng et al.
Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine May 2025-
Abstract
Objective
To examine the comprehensive health impacts of exercise on people with cancer by systematically summarising existing evidence and assessing the strength and reliability of the associations.
Design
Umbrella review of meta-analyses.
Data source
PubMed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science databases were searched from their inception to 23 July 2024.
Eligibility criteria for selecting studies
Meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials that investigated the associations between exercise and health outcomes among people with cancer.
Results
This umbrella review identified 485 associations from 80 articles, all evaluated as moderate to high quality using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). Two hundred and sixty (53.6%) associations were statistically significant (p<0.05), 81/485 (16.7%) were supported by high-certainty evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria. Compared with usual care or no exercise, moderate- to high-certainty evidence supported the view that exercise significantly mitigates adverse events associated with cancer and its treatments (eg, cardiac toxicity, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, cognitive impairment and dyspnoea). Exercise also modulates body composition and biomarkers (eg, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-1 and C-reactive protein) in people with cancer, and enhances sleep quality, psychological well-being, physiological functioning and social interaction, while improving overall quality of life.
Conclusion
Exercise reduces adverse events and enhances well-being through a range of health outcomes in people with cancer.
The Independent article– Doctors urged to prescribe exercise to more patients (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Exercise may cut cancer mortality – SA study
High Intensity Training regimen may inhibit prostate cancer growth — ERASE trial
American College of Sports Medicine: Exercise guidelines for cancer survivors
Exercise may alleviate ‘chemo brain’ in breast cancer — Washington University study