Physical activity and exercise therapy in oncology

Abstract

Optimized and individualized treatment options in oncology significantly improve the prognosis of patients. Accordingly, the management of side effects and the avoidance of long-term consequences is becoming increasingly more important. Numerous studies have shown apositive impact of physical activity and targeted exercise therapy on certain patient-related outcomes. Ideally, patients are introduced to exercise therapy directly after the diagnosis is made in order to enable adequate supportive monitoring and to sustainably reduce therapy-associated side effects. Meanwhile, scientific findings have resulted in concrete recommendations for action to effectively improve the main patient-related outcomes, such as fatigue or depression. A moderate endurance training in combination with individualized strength training seems to be of particular importance. In principle, oncological training and exercise therapy can be recommended to every cancer patient regardless of the form of cancer and the timing of therapy but taking the contraindications into account. Therefore, the aim of communal as well as national efforts should be to implement a comprehensive offer of professional exercise therapy to facilitate access of cancer patients to these services as well as to ensure adequate care during and after treatment.