Exercise in Cancer Care

There is enormous potential for improved patient outcomes with appropriately tailored, evidence-based exercise within cancer care. Increased levels of physical activity and exercise have been shown to reduce detrimental treatment-related side effects, and improve health outcomes and the quality of life of people diagnosed with cancer.1 Even though this is the case, there are still many factors clinicians and people diagnosed with cancer need to consider when partaking in exercise as medicine. Recent evidence expresses a need to understand that intensity, mode, and dose of exercise for those diagnosed with cancer is important and that current generalized guidelines may not enough to illicit clinically important change and carefully consider the needs of participants. Individual needs, including background, treatments, and health history must be taken into consideration when prescribing exercise as medicine for people with cancer.1 Since partaking in targeted treatments is associated with a wide array of serious side effects, which effect people physically and psychologically, a measured approach should form part of the recommendations afforded to cancer patients by the clinical team.