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Evidence summaries

Physical Activity Interventions for Disease-Related Physical and Mental Health during and Following Treatment in People with Non-Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Physical activity interventions may be beneficial for aerobic fitness, cancer-related fatigue and health-related quality of life up to six months follow-up. There is insufficient evidence whether physical activity interventions improve physical function or disease-related mental health. Level of evidence: "C"

The quality of evidence is downgraded by study quality and imprecise results.

Summary

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 16 studies with a total of 992 subjects. Included were trials comparing physical activity interventions, to usual care or no physical activity intervention in adults with non-advanced colorectal cancer. Type of physical activity included walking, cycling, resistance exercise, yoga and core stabilisation exercise.

Evidence was found of positive effects of physical activity interventions on the aerobic fitness component of physical fitness (SMD 0.82, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.29; 7 studies, 295 participants), cancer-related fatigue (MD 2.16, 95% CI 0.18 to 4.15; 6 studies, 230 participants) and health-related quality of life (SMD 0.36, 95% CI 0.10 to 0.62; 6 studies, 230 participants) at immediate-term follow-up. There is insufficient evidence whether physical activity interventions improve physical function compared with usual care. No evidence was found of effect of physical activity interventions compared to usual care on disease-related mental health (anxiety: SMD -0.11, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.18; 4 studies, 198 participants; and depression: SMD -0.21, 95% CI -0.50 to 0.08; 4 studies, 198 participants) at short- or medium-term follow-up.

Links

SOF Table http://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD012864.pub2/full#CD012864-sec-0008

Abstract in McMaster database

Clinical comments

Note

Date of latest search:

    References

    • McGettigan M, Cardwell CR, Cantwell MM et al. Physical activity interventions for disease-related physical and mental health during and following treatment in people with non-advanced colorectal cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2020;(5):CD012864. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords