Exercise and Oncology Overview

Search term "exercise & oncology" showed a 243% increase in hits from 2012 to 2022.
Randomized controlled trials showed a 145% increase in hits from 2012 to 2022.
Systematic reviews showed a 544% increase in hits from 2012 to 2022.
Prehabilitation showed a 459% increase in hits from 2012 to 2022.
Home-based exercise showed a 2150% increase in hits from 2012 to 2022.
Telehealth exercise showed a 2150% increase in hits from 2012 to 2022.

2020 data showed 31% of adults met muscle-strengthening guidelines and 46.9% met aerobic guidelines.
In 2020, 24.2% of adults met both aerobic and muscle-strengthening guidelines.
6.8% of adults only met muscle-strengthening guidelines.
22.7% of adults only met aerobic guidelines.
46.3% of adults met neither aerobic nor muscle-strengthening guidelines.

Physical activity decreases as age increases for both men and women.
The highest percentage of people meeting the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans was among the 18-34 age group for both men and women.
At the oldest age bracket (65 and over), the lowest percentages of those meeting the guidelines were seen in both categories.

Breast cancer survivors' aerobic physical activity adherence over the years (from the year before diagnosis to 10 years later) shows varying percentages of those exceeding recommendations for 150+ minutes per week.
Percentage of cancer survivors meeting aerobic physical activity recommendations drops significantly over time, from the year prior to diagnosis to 24 months, 5 years, and 10 years following diagnosis.

Some people naturally decline in physical activity with age.
Chemotherapy and/or radiation can cause premature aging.
The presence of cancer history generally results in lower physical activity levels compared to no cancer history.
Cancer treatment can reduce physical function and may affect exercise participation

Subjects: 142 gastroesophageal cancer patients awaiting surgery.
Testing: Maximum cardiopulmonary exercise test.
No adverse events reported.
Resistance training of breast cancer survivors (n=85) for 6 months showed 7 injury reports (back=4, shin/wrist/other=1 each).
No injury prevented continuing training.

Data on exercise adaptation after surgery and during treatment was presented through studies and subgroups.

Exercise volume is calculated based on intensity and volume.
It estimates total energy expenditure during exercise.
A total energy expenditure measurement provides comparison across different exercises.

HRPAS is a heart rate physical activity score.
Calculation depends on heart rate during an exercise session as well as duration.

Exercise progression involves progressively challenging/complexing the exercise program over time.
Increasing frequency, duration, resistance, and the number of sets is one way to accomplish this.
The 10% rule suggests increasing training parameters by no more than 10% per week.
Progression is often a clinician-specific decision, based on patient status, and may not always be explicitly defined in exercise protocols.

The importance of rest and recovery is often overlooked in exercise prescription programs.
The most common approach to ensure adequate recovery is to alter the frequency and duration of training.

Data from various studies with graphs on exercise progression for various time durations and frequencies (over weeks).

PAG II emphasizes moving more and sitting less to avoid inactivity.
PAG II omits the 10-minute minimum for activity to count toward daily exercise duration.
PAG II emphasizes that even less than the traditionally recommended 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity can provide health benefits.
PAG II highlights the importance of balance activities for improved physical functioning.

Studies highlight the varying quality of reporting on exercise prescription components and adherence to exercise interventions.

Reporting on the components of exercise prescriptions and the adherence to exercise interventions.

159 participants from various randomized controlled trials were evaluated regarding the quality and reporting of outcome measures related to exercise and pharmacological treatments.
A five-inventory approach to evaluate and compare research in high-impact journals regarding exercise protocols and pharmacological RCTs.

Exercise programs for cancer survivors need to be flexible, especially during treatment.
Accounting for side effects, function status, and contraindications is critical.
It's important to set multiple goals for exercise, such as "good day" and "bad day" programs.
The potential psychosocial benefits of exercise shouldn't be ignored.
Careful documentation is crucial in exercise and cancer studies.
The perception that cancer patients should only do passive/gentle exercise needs to be overcome.
Recommendations should account for multicomponent exercise to improve general and physical function in all ages and health statuses.
More focus must be given to reporting the details of the exercise programs and adherence issues. Safety, tolerance, and overall exercise-related outcome measures should be consistently reported across studies.