PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA)
AND LONG-TERM CANCER SURVIVORS: ITALIAN ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL ONCOLOGY (AIOM)/SNLG GUIDELINES 2020
M.G. Pescarenico, F. Artioli, G. Beretta, M. Bonotto, A.T. Caraceni, S. Carnio, F. Ferraù, R. Giusti, G. Micallo, G. Numico, A. Pace, P. Pedrazzoli, A. Santoro, M. Cinquini, P. Tralongo
Vol.4 (2021), pag. 60 - 70
| Received | 11/05/2021 |
| Accepted | 7/06/2021 |
| Published | 22/06/2021 |
| Review by | Single-blind |
| doi | https://doi.org/10.48252/JCR18 |
ABSTRACT
Purpose
AIOM guidelines aimed to provide evidence-based answers to practical questions concerning the effects of PA on the health demands of long-term cancer survivors. If regular PA should be recommended to these patients, the best proposal of PA, the recommendation of PA in lung cancer survivors and the safety of the prescription was investigated.
Methods
A systematic search was conduct on PUBMED and Cochrane database for meta- analyses, systemic reviews and primary studies (later updated 01/25/2019). The study selection criteria were population (long-term cancer survivors and non-metastatic off-therapy cancer survivors), PA intervention (aerobic exercise, resistance exercise and/or a combination of both, exercise of mild, moderate and vigorous intensity) and outcomes (overall mortality, cancer-speci c mortality, disease recovery, quality of life, “fatigue”, physical tness, reduction of treatment sequelae). The question on lung cancer survivors was studied with a dedicated research, updated on 01/23/2019 on MEDLINE/EMBASE/Central.
Results
In reviewing 32 report comprising large epidemiological trials, meta-analyses, systemic reviews, guidelines, randomized controlled trials with a total of several thousand study participants, we found that the PA brings important health bene ts for long-term cancer survivors. The Panel provides a strong recommendation to regular exercise at the same “dose” as the general population or adapted to comorbidities or cancer sequelae. Also recommends that all patients undergo a “multidimensional” assessment prior to PA prescription. The lack of speci c evidences in literature motivated the weak positive indication to PA in lung cancer survivors.
Conclusions
PA improves signi cantly the quality of life, depression, anxiety, “fatigue” and physical tness in long-term cancer survivors. And it is possible that it reduces the risk of overall, cancer-speci c mortality and disease recurrence. More research is needed to provide the best answers to cancer survivors' health questions: it is also hoped that clinicians, health-care professionals, people and authorities will increasingly pay attention to the needs of the long-term cancer population.