Effect of Exercise Training on Quality of Life after Colorectal and Lung Cancer Surgery: A Meta-Analysis

Quality of life and physical activity levels among colorectal cancer patients: An observational study

This study investigated the influence of physical activity on the quality of life of patients with postsurgical colorectal cancer in Jordan. A total of 108 colorectal cancer patients aged ≥18 years who underwent surgery at the King Hussein Cancer Center participated voluntarily. The exclusion criteria were severe comorbidities, absolute contraindications to physical activity, and concurrent cancers. Data collection involved phone interviews using The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire and the Godin Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire due to coronavirus disease 2019 restrictions. Significant positive differences in the quality of life subcategory "physical score" were observed between active and less active patients, favoring the active group. However, no significant differences were found in the impact of physical roles on quality of life between active and less active patients. Participation in physical activity is associated with enhanced physical function in both active and less active colorectal cancer patients. We recommend the implementation of physical activity programs and clinics at King Hussein Cancer Center. Future experimental studies assessing the impact of tailored physical activity training on quality of life are warranted.

Exercise Across the Phases of Cancer Survivorship: A Narrative Review

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.

Influence of Amino Acids and Exercise on Muscle Protein Turnover, Particularly in Cancer Cachexia

Cancer cachexia is a multifaceted syndrome that impacts individuals with advanced cancer. It causes numerous pathological changes in cancer patients, such as inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, which further diminish their quality of life. Unfortunately, cancer cachexia also increases the risk of mortality in affected individuals, making it an important area of focus for cancer research and treatment. Several potential nutritional therapies are being tested in preclinical and clinical models for their efficacy in improving muscle metabolism in cancer patients. Despite promising results, no special nutritional therapies have yet been validated in clinical practice. Multiple studies provide evidence of the benefits of increasing muscle protein synthesis through an increased intake of amino acids or protein. There is also increasing evidence that exercise can reduce muscle atrophy by modulating protein synthesis. Therefore, the combination of protein intake and exercise may be more effective in improving cancer cachexia. This review provides an overview of the preclinical and clinical approaches for the use of amino acids with and without exercise therapy to improve muscle metabolism in cachexia.

Effect of Preoperative Home-Based Exercise Training on Quality of Life After Lung Cancer Surgery: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Preoperative exercise training is recommended for improvement of clinical outcomes after lung cancer (LC) surgery. However, its effectiveness in preventing postoperative decline in quality of life (QoL) remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of preoperative home-based exercise training (PHET) on QoL after LC surgery.

METHODS

Patients awaiting LC resection were randomized to PHET or a control group (CG). The PHET program combined aerobic and resistance exercise, with weekly telephone supervision. Primary outcome was QoL-assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (QLQ-C30) at baseline, before surgery, and 1 month after surgery. The secondary outcomes were hospital length of stay and physical performance. The main analysis included a factorial repeated-measures analysis of variance. Additionally, the proportion of patients experiencing clinical deterioration from baseline to post-surgery was assessed.

RESULTS

The study included 41 patients (68.1 ± 9.3 years; 68.3% male) in the intention-to-treat analysis (20 PHET patients, 21 CG patients). A significant group × time interaction was observed for global QoL (p = 0.004). Between-group differences in global QoL were statistically and clinically significant before surgery (mean difference [MD], 13.5 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.4-24.6; p = 0.019) and after surgery (MD, 12.4 points; 95% CI, 1.3-23.4; p = 0.029), favoring PHET. Clinical deterioration of global QoL was reported by 71.4% of the CG patients compared with 30 % of the PHET patients (p = 0.003). Between-group differences in favor of PHET were found in pain and appetite loss as well as in physical, emotional and role functions after surgery (p < 0.05). Compared with CG, PHET was superior in improving preoperative five-times sit-to-stand and postoperative exercise capacity (p < 0.05). No between-group differences in other secondary outcomes were observed.

CONCLUSION

The study showed that PHET can effectively prevent the decline in QoL after LC surgery.

Does Exercise Improve Health-Related Quality of Life of Colorectal Cancer Survivors? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Early diagnostic and treatment advances have resulted in prolonged cancer survivorship. Therefore, exercise intervention in survivorship management is essential for enhancing cancer survivors' health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

OBJECTIVE

The systematic review and meta-analysis in this study aimed to explore the effect of exercise intervention on health-related quality of life of colorectal cancer survivors.

METHODS

The current study followed guidelines outlined in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 (PRISMA 2020) to identify relevant literature. Comprehensive searches were conducted using EBSCOhost, Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, Science Direct, and PubMed. The inclusion criteria included are randomised control trials studies written in English, with no restrictions for the time of publication that reported the effects of exercise intervention on health-related quality of live among colorectal cancer survivors. Meta-analysis was conducted by pooling the mean and standard deviation of post-intervention scores across randomised control trial studies using a random effects model.

RESULT

A total of 467 articles were identified but only seven articles were randomised control trials (RCT) (n = 7) with PEDro scores ranging from 6 to 9 showing good internal validity were included in the review. The results of the meta-analysis of pooled data from six RCTs studies on HRQoL showed no significant effect of exercise intervention on HRQoL in the intervention group compared to control group [SMD = 0.25; 95% CI; -0.0, 0.51; Z = 1.88; p = 0.06; I2 = 30.8%].

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis provides key insights into the effect of exercise on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors. Therefore, more experimental studies should be carried out with rigorous methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions before it is recommended as a routine activity in post-treatment management for CRC survivors.

Global status of research on gastrointestinal cancer patients' quality of life: A bibliometric and visual analysis from 2003 to 2023

Objective

To analyze the current research status, hotspots, and frontiers in the field of Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer and quality of life (QoL) through the bibliometrics method, and to provide references and guidance for future research.

Methods

Literature related to GI cancer and QoL from April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2023 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. CiteSpace 6.2.R1 was performed for collaboration analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and document co-citation analysis.

Results

A total of 1224 publications were included in this study. There has been a significant increase in the number of publications in this field over the past two decades. The United States, the Karolinska Institute and the University of Amsterdam, and Pernilla Lagergren are the most prolific country, institution, and author, respectively. The links between most of the research constituents were relatively thin (centrality <0.1). The keyword analysis indicates that the benefits of physical activity on QoL, the levels of psychological distress and its relationship with QoL, as well as the development and validation of QoL measurement tools have been the research hotspots. Open-label/double-blind trials exploring therapeutic interventions and more targeted new drugs or more effective drug combinations, and longitudinal studies determining the direction of the association between psychological distress and QoL at different time points, may be emerging trends in this field.

Conclusion

The cooperation among countries, institutions, and authors in this field should be strengthened. In addition, the health benefits of light physical activity, interventions for QoL, trajectory and direction of the relationship between psychological distress and QoL may be the focus of future research.

[Pre-rehabilitation of oncological patients before extensive abdominal and thoracic surgery: a literature review]

Surgery is one of the leading treatment methods of patients with primary or recurrent malignant neoplasms in the thoracic or abdominal cavity. Extensive abdominal interventions are accompanied by such adverse outcomes as blood loss, hypoxia, inflammation, blood clotting abnormality, emotional and cognitive disorders, that increases the incidence of serious complications and worsens the treatment outcome and life quality in weakened oncological patients. Multimodal pre-rehabilitation before surgery can significantly decrease the incidence and severity of postoperative complications. The rehabilitation complex includes exercise therapy, nutritional and psychological support, smoking cessation and pharmacotherapy. Currently, there are a number of questions facing rehabilitation specialists and oncologists, that are related to the determination of pre-rehabilitation optimal timing and process duration, the choice of specific physical exercises, determining the load intensity. This review presents a current view on understanding of surgical stress in extensive abdominal interventions, its effect on the oncological process course, summarizes the experience of last years in choosing pre-rehabilitation program taking into account pathogenetic mechanisms of surgical stress and individual patient's characteristics. Special attention is paid to the comparison of physical exercises' various types, their action mechanisms at different stages of pathological process, the issues of load dosing during pre-rehabilitation activities.

The effect of exercise interventions on quality of life in patients with multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

PURPOSE

To determine the effect of exercise interventions on quality of life in adults with multiple myeloma.

METHODS

A literature search of 10 sources was performed in June 2022 to identify eligible studies for synthesis.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

randomised controlled trials comparing the effect of exercise interventions with usual care in adults with a diagnosis of multiple myeloma. The risk of bias was assessed using the Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model with inverse variance and 95% confidence intervals. Forest plots were constructed to present pooled data.

RESULTS

Five RCTs, which included a total of 519 participants, were selected for inclusion. Four of the five studies were included in the meta-analysis. The mean participant age ranged from 55 to 67 years old. All studies included an aerobic exercise component. Intervention length ranged from 6 to 30 weeks. Meta-analysis of 118 participants showed that exercise interventions had no impact on global quality of life (MD = 2.15, 95% CI: - 4.67, 8.97, p = 0.54, I2 = 0%). Exercise interventions negatively impacted participant grip strength (MD: - 3.69, 95% CI: - 7.12, -0.26, p = 0.03, I2 = 0%) according to pooled data from 186 participants.

CONCLUSION

Exercise interventions have no positive impact on the quality of life of patients with multiple myeloma. The analysis is limited by a high risk of bias across included studies and low certainty evidence. Further high-quality trials are needed to assess the role of exercise in patients with multiple myeloma.

Home-Based Preoperative Exercise Training for Lung Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery: A Feasibility Trial

BACKGROUND

Clinical guidelines recommend prehabilitation with exercise training to optimize recovery after lung cancer surgery. However, the lack of access to facility-based exercise programs is a major barrier to routine participation. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a home-based exercise intervention before lung cancer resection.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective, two-site feasibility study, including patients scheduled for lung cancer surgery. Exercise prescription involved aerobic and resistance training with telephone-based supervision. The primary endpoint was overall feasibility (recruitment rate, retention rate, intervention adherence and acceptability). Secondary endpoints included safety and effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and physical performance, evaluated at baseline, after the exercise intervention and 4-5 weeks after surgery.

RESULTS

Over three months, 15 patients were eligible, and all agreed to participate (recruitment rate: 100%). A total of 14 patients completed the exercise intervention, and 12 patients were evaluated postoperatively (retention rate: 80%). The median length of the exercise intervention was 3 weeks. Patients performed an aerobic and resistance training volume higher than prescribed (median adherence rates of 104% and 111%, respectively). A total of nine adverse events occurred during the intervention (Grade 1, n = 8; Grade 2, n = 1), the most common being shoulder pain. After the exercise intervention, significant improvements were observed in the HRQOL summary score (mean difference, 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], from 0.9 to 4.8; p = 0.049) and the five-times sit-to-stand test score (median difference, -1.5; 95% CI, from -2.1 to -0.9; p = 0.001). After surgery, no significant effects on HRQOL and physical performance were observed.

CONCLUSION

A short-term preoperative home-based exercise intervention is feasible before lung cancer resection and may enhance accessibility to prehabilitation. Clinical effectiveness should be investigated in future studies.

Exercise across the Lung Cancer Care Continuum: An Overview of Systematic Reviews

BACKGROUND

Growing evidence supports exercise for people with lung cancer. This overview aimed to summarise exercise intervention efficacy and safety across the care continuum.

METHODS

Eight databases (including Cochrane and Medline) were searched (inception-February 2022) for systematic reviews of RCTs/quasi-RCTs. Eligibility: population-adults with lung cancer; intervention: exercise (e.g., aerobic, resistance) +/- non-exercise (e.g., nutrition); comparator: usual care/non-exercise; primary outcomes: exercise capacity, physical function, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and post-operative complications. Duplicate, independent title/abstract and full-text screening, data extraction and quality ratings (AMSTAR-2) were completed.

RESULTS

Thirty systematic reviews involving between 157 and 2109 participants (n = 6440 total) were included. Most reviews (n = 28) involved surgical participants. Twenty-five reviews performed meta-analyses. The review quality was commonly rated critically low (n = 22) or low (n = 7). Reviews commonly included combinations of aerobic, resistance and/or respiratory exercise interventions. Pre-operative meta-analyses demonstrated that exercise reduces post-operative complications (n = 4/7) and improves exercise capacity (n = 6/6), whilst HRQoL findings were non-significant (n = 3/3). Post-operative meta-analyses reported significant improvements in exercise capacity (n = 2/3) and muscle strength (n = 1/1) and non-significant HRQoL changes (n = 8/10). Interventions delivered to mixed surgical and non-surgical populations improved exercise capacity (n = 3/4), muscle strength (n = 2/2) and HRQoL (n = 3). Meta-analyses of interventions in non-surgical populations demonstrated inconsistent findings. Adverse event rates were low, however, few reviews reported on safety.

CONCLUSIONS

A large body of evidence supports lung cancer exercise interventions to reduce complications and improve exercise capacity in pre- and post-operative populations. Additional higher-quality research is needed, particularly in the non-surgical population, including subgroup analyses of exercise type and setting.

Is physical activity effective against cancer-related fatigue in lung cancer patients? An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses

OBJECTIVES

To discuss the effects of physical activity on cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in lung cancer patients, summarize the types of physical activity in the published reviews, assess the quality of the evidence, and provide suggestions for the clinical selection of exercise intervention.

METHODS

PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched through 8 November 2021 to identify relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses. We also performed a manual search of the reference lists of included articles as supplements. Two researchers independently performed literature screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. The umbrella review has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Review (PROSPERO) registry (CRD42021292548).

RESULTS

From the 13 systematic reviews or meta-analyses identified, 10 physical activity interventions were included. The most mentioned intervention was aerobic combined with resistance exercise; however, no reduction of the symptoms of CRF was observed in lung cancer patients by this exercise intervention. Most of the patients who performed aerobic exercises alone showed improvement in CRF after the intervention. In addition, Tai Chi and breathing exercises have been shown to improve fatigue, but more high-quality research is still needed to support its effectiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

Aerobic exercise, respiratory muscle training, aerobic combined with balance training, and other exercise interventions have been shown to improve CRF in lung cancer patients. But it should be noted that according to the different treatment methods and disease stages of patients, individualized rehabilitation programs should be developed for patients. Due to the low methodological quality and evidence quality of some systematic reviews and meta-analyses included in this study, more high-quality clinical studies and systematic reviews are still needed for validation in the future. This umbrella review helps to identify effective ways of exercise to improve fatigue in lung cancer patients before dedicated evidence-based medical guidelines are established.

Systematic assessment of microRNAs associated with lung cancer and physical exercise

It has long been evident that physical exercise reduces the risk of cancer and improves treatment efficacy in tumor patients, particularly in lung cancer (LC). Several molecular mechanisms have been reported, but the mechanisms related to microRNAs (miRNAs) are not well understood. MiRNAs modulated various basic biological processes by negatively regulating gene expression and can be transmitted between cells as signaling molecules. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs are actively released into the circulation during exercise, and are deeply involved in cancer pathology. Hence, the role of exercise intervention in LC treatment may be further understood by identifying miRNAs associated with LC and physical activity. Here, miRNAs expression datasets related to LC and exercise were collected to screen altered miRNAs. Further bioinformatic approaches were performed to analyze the value of the selected miRNAs. The results identified 42 marker miRNAs in LC, of which three core-miRNAs (has-miR-195, has-miR-26b, and has-miR-126) were co-regulated by exercise and cancer, mainly involved in cell cycle and immunity. Our study supports the idea that using exercise intervention as adjuvant therapy for LC patients. These core-miRNAs, which are down-regulated in cancer but elevated by exercise, may act as suppressors in LC and serve as non-invasive biomarkers for cancer prevention.