Exercise Intervention Research for Patients With Cancer on Treatment

Objectives

To review the literature and summarize the findings of exercise intervention research for patients with cancer undergoing treatment.

Data Sources

Electronic databases of the Ovid Medline and CINAHL from 1980 to present. Reference lists from retrieved articles were reviewed and relevant articles included.

Conclusion

Exercise programs have been primarily aerobic. Participants exercised anywhere from 3 to 7 days a week, for 2 to 52 weeks, 10 to 45 minutes per session, at 50% to 85% of heart rate reserve. Exercise has shown to improve almost all aspects of physiologic and psychological functioning.

Implications for Nursing Practice

Nurses can confidently suggest exercise as part of a patient's therapy and guide the patient to a safe program.

Keywords: Cancer, exercise intervention, rehabilitation