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. 2022 May;29(3):402-418.
doi: 10.1007/s12282-022-01347-z. Epub 2022 Mar 12.

Impact of exercise interventions on physical fitness in breast cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review

Salvatore Ficarra  1 , Ewan Thomas  2 , Antonino Bianco  2 , Ambra Gentile  2 , Petra Thaller  3 , Fulvio Grassadonio  4 , Sofia Papakonstantinou  5 , Thorsten Schulz  6 , Nils Olson  6 , Alexandra Martin  7 , Christian Wagner  8 , Anna Nordström  9   10 , Hande Hofmann  6
Affiliations

Impact of exercise interventions on physical fitness in breast cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review

Salvatore Ficarra et al. Breast Cancer. 2022 May.

Abstract

Background: This systematic review aims to identify the effects of exercise interventions in patients with breast cancer (BCP) and survivors (BCS) on selected variables of physical fitness.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using Medline and Scopus. Randomized controlled trials with isolated exercise interventions in BCP and BCS women (< 5 years from therapy completion) were included. The risk of bias (RoB) assessment was conducted using the Cochrane RoB-2-tool. Variables regarding cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), strength (ST), fatigue (F) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were discussed.

Results: Of the 336 studies initially identified, 22 met all the inclusion criteria and were deemed eligible. RoB assessment indicated that the studies had predominantly "some concerns" or had "low RoB", with only 3 studies presenting a "high RoB". The mean duration and frequency of exercise interventions were 19 weeks and 3 sessions/week, performed at moderate intensity (65% VO2max and 66% 1RM, for aerobic and resistance-training interventions, respectively).

Conclusions: Exercise interventions seem to be a valuable strategy in BCP to avoid the decline of CRF, ST, F and HRQoL. Conversely, improved physical function among BCS is observed for the same variables. Resistance training and combined interventions seem to provide the most encouraging variations of the selected outcomes.

Prospero registration id: CRD42021237917.

Keywords: Breast neoplasm; Fatigue; Physical activity; Quality of life; Strength.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the screening process. From Moher et al. [30]
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Risk of bias assessment summary, stratified by outcome. D domain, CRF cardiorespiratory fitness, ST strength, F fatigue, HRQoL health-related quality of life
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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