The Benefits of Exercise Effect on Cancer: A Review

Abstract

PURPOSE Exercise has been greatly shown to be effective on cancer patients and thus improves functional capacity in cancer patients and lowers a risk of cancer recurrence. The growing numbers of cancer population has been diagnosed and therefore, effect of exercise on cancer should be focused as a great intervention. Therefore, this study reviews the benefits of exercise on cancer and exercise guidelines for cancer population. METHODS This study reviews 30 previous studies focusing on the benefits of exercise on various types of cancer such as breast, colon, colorectal, liver, lung, ovary, brain, prostate, and melanoma. RESULTS Improvement in muscle strength, aerobic capacity, body balance throughout optimal exercise would be necessary for cancer patients and survivors for their life-long health by improving overall body function. To reach a healthy life, they need to conduct at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise per week, and also at least 2 days per week of resistance exercise with moderate to high intensity for all major muscle groups. Exercise intervention needs to be safe during and after cancer treatments and results in improvements in physical functioning, cancer-related symptoms, and quality of life. Especially, patients and/or survivors with prostate cancer and melanoma are required to exercise with prescription because exercise may induce unexpected effects on health in those population. CONCLUSIONS Implications for exercise affects related to cancer are still unknown; however, the benefits of exercise to physical functioning and quality of life are sufficient for cancer patients and survivors.

Keywords

• exercise
• cancer
• intervention
• exercise guideline
• adaptation