The Role of Physical Exercise in Sexual Health and Body Image in Women Living with and Surviving Breast Cancer: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Background/Objective. Breast Cancer (BC) is a growing medical concern that may heavily influence sexual functioning (SF) and body image (BI) in BC patients. In healthy individuals, physical exercise (PE) has been proposed as a crucial factor to improve BI. However, little is known about the effects of PE on BI and SF in BC patients. Therefore, the aim of this study is to summarize the extant literature regarding the effects of PE on BI and SF in these populations. Methods. Our review, conducted using the PRISMA extension for a Scoping Review, was carried out in three databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Only Randomized Control Trials (RCT) evaluating the effects of different types of PE on BI and/or SF in a population affected by or who have survived BC were included. Results. The literature search yielded 488 studies. Twelve studies resulted in being eligible for inclusion in this review. The effects of aerobic exercise on BI and SF were scant. Studies employing resistance training as PE provided contrasting results. Conversely, studies using holistic approaches yielded larger benefits on BI and SF. Conclusions. Our results showed that PE has marginal effects on BI and SF. PE interventions longer than six months and based on holistic activities should be implemented to improve BI and SF in BC patients. To safely draw conclusions on the effects of PE on BI and SF, future studies should consider more accurate monitoring of exercise intensity, and a thorough evaluation of the possible mediators of the effects of PE in these populations.

Keywords: breast neoplasm; physical activity; quality of life; sexual function.

Figure 1

PRISMA flow diagram of the study selection process. WoS = Web of Science; BI = body image; SF = sexual functioning; BC = breast cancer.