Exercise for cancer survivors: A review

Introduction As survivorship becomes increasingly common with marked improvements in the detection and treatment of cancer, the deleterious effects of the disease and its treatment need continued attention. Exercise is developing a valuable role in the cancerrehabilitation process. Over the past two decades, a substantial amount of research has been done on the effects of exercise for cancer survivors. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of some of the psychological and physical benefits of exercise and to explore exercise-induced immune function specific to cancer survivors. Discussion It is commonly accepted that physical activity may improve various physical and psychosocial factors in cancer survivors while potentially reducing the rate of recurrence and improving overall survival. Exercise of lowto-moderate intensity is reportedly a feasible and safe option to mediate the effects of medical treatment and may have the ability to attenuate the loss in physical performance typically associated with cancer treatment. Most research in this area is specific to breast and prostate cancer, although recent literature is focusing on other tumour types. Of recent interest is the immunological response of exercise in cancer survivors, both on and off treatment. The cytokine cascade in response to exercise differs from that induced by infection, which leads to the question of how exercise impacts those who are immunocompromised. Although inflammation is linked with the process of tumourigenesis and exercise has been linked with decreased inflammation, surprisingly few studies have examined the immunological impact of exercise within the cancer population. Conclusion Physical activity has been found to produce beneficial health-related outcomes for cancer survivors, but exercise dose response is still being explored. Further research is needed to clearly identify the immune response to exercise as experienced by cancer survivors.