There is evidence that exercise , such as low intensity aerobics walking , Tai Chi , or cycling , results in an overall decrease in fatigue levels over the course of cancer treatment .
Additionally , there is evidence that regular physical activity or exercise can decrease emotional stress , blood pressure , the duration of neutropenia , thrombocytopenia , and pain .
Exercise also has been shown to increase quality of life and improve the maximal oxygen uptake during exertion , sleep patterns , and cognition .
Disease and cancer treatment-related side effects such as decreased energy level , muscle weakness , and declines in functional status and body mass have been well documented .
However , the majority of studies of exercise and cancer have been conducted with women with early stage breast cancer , limiting the generalizability of these studies to other cancer population s. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a synthesis of the extant research evidence about th e benefits of exercise related to cancer recovery
Exercise discussions during cancer treatment consultations.
PURPOSE Physical exercise has been shown to help cancer survivors cope with treatment side effects . The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the oncologist in promoting exercise in cancer survivors . DESCRIPTION OF STUDY Cancer survivors who had recently completed treatment ( N = 311 ) were mailed a self-administered question naire that assessed the following : whether exercise was discussed during any of their treatment consultations ; whether they preferred that exercise be discussed during this time ; their perceived oncologist approval for exercise ; and the amount of  exercise  they performed during treatment . RESULTS Descriptive statistics showed that 28.4 % of cancer survivors reported that their oncologist initiated a discussion of exercise  during their treatment consultation , that 13.9 % said that they initiated a discussion , and that 57.8 % said that exercise was not discussed . Survivors younger than 60 years of age were more likely to initiate a discussion of exercise  than were older survivors . Survivors whose oncologist initiated a discussion of exercise also reported a stronger normative belief for  exercise  , performing more frequent exercise  during treatment , and performing more total minutes of exercise  during treatment . Most ( 82.2 % ) survivors preferred that the oncologist initiate the discussion of exercise .  CLINICAL IMPLICATION S These findings indicate that most cancer survivors responding to this survey preferred that their oncologist initiate a discussion of exercise .  Such a discussion appears to increase survivor exercise levels during treatment . If confirmed in a prospect i ve , r and omized , controlled trial , the implication is that an oncologist-initiated discussion of exercise during treatment consultations may be a cost-effective strategy for promoting exercise in cancer survivors
There is evidence that exercise , such as low intensity aerobics walking , Tai Chi , or cycling , results in an overall decrease in fatigue levels over the course of cancer treatment .
Additionally , there is evidence that regular physical activity or exercise can decrease emotional stress , blood pressure , the duration of neutropenia , thrombocytopenia , and pain .
Exercise also has been shown to increase quality of life and improve the maximal oxygen uptake during exertion , sleep patterns , and cognition .
Disease and cancer treatment-related side effects such as decreased energy level , muscle weakness , and declines in functional status and body mass have been well documented .
However , the majority of studies of exercise and cancer have been conducted with women with early stage breast cancer , limiting the generalizability of these studies to other cancer population s. The purpose of this systematic review is to provide a synthesis of the extant research evidence about th e benefits of exercise related to cancer recovery