Yonsei Med J.
2024 Jun;65(6):315-323. 10.3349/ymj.2023.0638.
Exercise Across the Phases of Cancer Survivorship: A Narrative Review
- Affiliations
-
- 1Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- 2National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea
- 3Department of Sport Industry Studies, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- 4Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States
- 5Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, United States
- 6Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- 7Exercise Medicine Center for Diabetes and Cancer Patients, Institute of Convergence Science, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- 8Cancer Prevention Center, Yonsei Cancer Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- KMID: 2555917
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.3349/ymj.2023.0638
Abstract
- Exercise has long been recognized as an important component of treatment for various diseases. However, the benefits and risks of exercise interventions must be carefully evaluated to ensure the former outweighs the latter. As cancer patients undergo diverse treatment modalities with distinct objectives, a systematic approach partitioning the cancer journey into distinct phases is necessary to inform tailored exercise prescriptions. This narrative review summarizes exercise benefits and mechanisms for cancer patients and survivors across four distinct survivorship periods—before surgery, after surgery and before adjuvant treatment, during nonsurgical treatment (adjuvant and neoadjuvant), and during extended survival. In summary, exercise reduces the risks of complications and declines in physical functioning while improving fatigue, quality of life, and the ability to manage treatment effects. Although additional research is warranted, existing evidence is sufficient to integrate exercise into clinical oncology practice and cancer survivorship programs.
