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. 2024 Jun:198:104350.
doi: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2024.104350. Epub 2024 Apr 18.

What is the role of physical exercise in the era of cancer prehabilitation? A systematic review

Nicole Del Bianco  1 , Anita Borsati  2 , Linda Toniolo  1 , Christian Ciurnielli  1 , Lorenzo Belluomini  3 , Jessica Insolda  3 , Marco Sposito  3 , Michele Milella  3 , Federico Schena  1 , Sara Pilotto  4 , Alice Avancini  3
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Free article

What is the role of physical exercise in the era of cancer prehabilitation? A systematic review

Nicole Del Bianco et al. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2024 Jun.
Free article

Abstract

Purpose: Exercise before surgery, as part of prehabilitation, aiming to enhance patients' functional and physiological capacity, has become widespread, necessitating an in-depth understanding.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted on Pubmed, Cochrane, and Scopus to examine the effect of exercise as prehabilitation, alone or in combination with other interventions, in patients with cancer. Interventional studies applying a single-arm, randomized controlled, or nonrandomized design were included.

Results: A total of 96 studies were included, and categorized according to cancer types, i.e., gynecological, breast, urological, gastrointestinal and lung cancer. For each cancer site, the effect of exercise, on physical fitness parameters and postoperative outcomes, including length of hospital stay and postoperative complications, was reported.

Conclusion: Exercise as prehabilitation may have an important role in improving physical fitness, postoperative outcomes, and accelerating recovery, especially in certain types of malignancies.

Keywords: Cancer; Exercise prehabilitation; Physical activity; Physical exercise; Prehabilitation; Prior surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest SP reports personal fees from AstraZeneca, Eli-Lilly, Novartis, AMGEN, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck & Co. and Roche; and grants from AstraZeneca and BMS outside the submitted work. EB reports personal fees, non-financial support and other from MSD, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Eli-Lilly, BMS, Novartis and Roche; and grants from AstraZeneca and Roche, outside the submitted work. MM reports personal fees from Pfizer, MSD, AstraZeneca, EUSA Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim and Ipsen; and grants from Roche and BMS, outside the sub mitted work. All remaining authors declare no conflicts of interests.

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