Childhood cancer: exercise is medicine

Advances in the management of childhood cancer have provided meaningful improvements in clinical prognosis. These improvements have led to an increase in the number of survivors, who often have post-treatment complications that can cause adverse health outcomes later in life. Sequelae associated with cancer treatment (chemotherapy and radiotherapy) can lead to harmful and often persistent changes in the developmental process, in the cardiopulmonary (eg, cardiotoxicity and impaired ventricular function years after treatment) and metabolic (eg, dyslipidaemia) systems, and in body composition (excess abdominal adiposity coupled with muscle weakness and poor bone health; appendix). 1 Morales JS Valenzuela PL Rincón-Castanedo C Santos-Lozano A Fiuza-Luces C Lucia A Is health status impaired in childhood cancer survivors? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2019; 142: 94-118 Crossref PubMed Scopus (10) Google Scholar The physical ability of survivors of childhood cancer is often impaired and daily life activities can be challenging. 2 Morales JS Valenzuela PL Rincón-Castanedo C et al. Exercise training in childhood cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Cancer Treat Rev. 2018; 70: 154-167 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (64) Google Scholar Physical activity and exercise for cancer-related cognitive impairment among individuals affected by childhood cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysisThere is moderate-certainty evidence that physical activity and exercise improves cognitive function among individuals affected by childhood cancer, which supports the use of physical activity for managing cancer-related cognitive impairment. Full-Text PDF