Exercise interventions and physical activity in adults living with and beyond blood cancer: a scoping review

Adults living with and beyond cancer (survivors) often face physical and psychological challenges, including pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and depression, which impair quality of life (QOL). While exercise interventions are demonstrated to benefit survivors of solid tumors, their impact on survivors of blood cancer remains underexplored. This review evaluates the evidence regarding exercise interventions in survivors of blood cancer, focusing on intervention types, study participant characteristics, and reported outcomes.

A literature search was conducted using Embase (Elsevier), Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), and Scopus (Elsevier) to identify studies on exercise interventions in survivors of blood cancer published through March 15, 2024. Articles were screened based on inclusion criteria, including adults aged 18 or older who completed cancer treatment and underwent exercise interventions. Exclusion criteria included pediatric populations, active cancer treatment, study protocols, incomplete results, or non-English publications.

Seventeen studies were identified, including nine feasibility studies and eight randomized controlled trials. Participants, predominantly white, had a median age range of 31.5-63.5 years. Interventions, often combining aerobic and resistance exercises, were delivered three times weekly over 8-12 weeks. Feasibility studies reported adherence rates of 66-87% and retention rates of 70-95%, with improvements in QOL and physical function. Randomized controlled trials similarly demonstrated benefits in fatigue, QOL, and physical function.  CONCLUSIONS: Exercise interventions improve QOL for survivors of blood cancer, though long-term effectiveness and adherence require further study.

Future research should focus on diverse populations and long-term outcomes to develop tailored, accessible exercise interventions for survivors of blood cancer.