Exercise and Childhood Cancer-A Historical Review

Overview

Journal Cancers (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Oncology

Date 2022 Jan 11

PMID 35008246

Authors

Javier S Morales

Pedro L Valenzuela

Daniel Velazquez-Diaz

Adrian Castillo-Garcia

David Jimenez-Pavon

Alejandro Lucia

Carmen Fiuza-Luces

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Childhood cancer survivors are at risk of developing important adverse effects, many of which persist for years after the end of treatment. The implementation of interventions aiming at attenuating tumor/treatment-associated adverse effects is therefore a major issue in pediatric oncology, and there is growing evidence that physical exercise could help in this regard. The present review aims to summarize the main milestones achieved in pediatric exercise oncology. For this purpose, we conducted a systematic review of relevant studies written in English in the electronic database PubMed (from inception to 14 August 2021). This review traces the field of pediatric exercise oncology throughout recent history based on three fundamental pillars: (i) exercise during childhood cancer treatment; (ii) exercise during/after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; and (iii) exercise after childhood cancer treatment. Accumulating evidence--although still preliminary in many cases--supports the safety and potential benefits of regular exercise (with no major contraindications in general) in the childhood cancer continuum, even during the most aggressive phases of treatment. Exercise can indeed represent an effective coadjuvant therapy for attenuating cancer-related adverse effects.

Citing Articles

Parental influence on Chinese childhood cancer survivors' physical activity: a mixed methods study.

Xu F, Lv D, Zhou J, Guan Z, Xiong J, Yun J Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):7998.

PMID: 40055371 PMC: 11889262. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-87037-0.

Aging and cancer.

Montegut L, Lopez-Otin C, Kroemer G Mol Cancer. 2024; 23(1):106.

PMID: 38760832 PMC: 11102267. DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02020-z.

The evolution of nutritional care in children and young people with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: a narrative review.

Lovell A, Gardiner B, Henry L, Bate J, Brougham M, Revuelta Iniesta R J Hum Nutr Diet. 2024; 38(1):e13273.

PMID: 38185902 PMC: 11589404. DOI: 10.1111/jhn.13273.

Physical capacity in children and adolescents with newly diagnosed cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Schmidt-Andersen P, Stage A, Pouplier A, Bastholm L, Muller K, Larsen A Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2023; 71(1):e30746.

PMID: 37877893 PMC: 10842329. DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30746.

Effect of exercise on bone health in children and adolescents with cancer during and after oncological treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Marmol-Perez A, Ubago-Guisado E, Rodriguez-Solana A, Gil-Cosano J, Martinez-Vizcaino V, Cavero-Redondo I Front Physiol. 2023; 14:1088740.

PMID: 37035662 PMC: 10081564. DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1088740.

References

Braam K, van Dijk-Lokkart E, Kaspers G, Takken T, Huisman J, Bierings M . Cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity in children with cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2015; 24(5):2259-2268. PMC: 4805718. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-015-2993-1. View

San Juan A, Chamorro-Vina C, Mate-Munoz J, Fernandez del Valle M, Cardona C, Hernandez M . Functional capacity of children with leukemia. Int J Sports Med. 2007; 29(2):163-7. DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-964908. View

Braam K, van der Torre P, Takken T, Veening M, van Dulmen-den Broeder E, Kaspers G . Physical exercise training interventions for children and young adults during and after treatment for childhood cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013; (4):CD008796. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD008796.pub2. View

Matthys D, Verhaaren H, Benoit Y, Laureys G, De Naeyer A, Craen M . Gender difference in aerobic capacity in adolescents after cure from malignant disease in childhood. Acta Paediatr. 1993; 82(5):459-62. DOI: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1993.tb12722.x. View

Gilchrist L, Tanner L . Short-Term Recovery of Balance Control: Association With Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Pediatric Oncology. Pediatr Phys Ther. 2018; 30(2):119-124. DOI: 10.1097/PEP.0000000000000484. View

Ness K, Plana J, Joshi V, Luepker R, Durand J, Green D . Exercise Intolerance, Mortality, and Organ System Impairment in Adult Survivors of Childhood Cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 38(1):29-42. PMC: 7051850. DOI: 10.1200/JCO.19.01661. View

Ward E, DeSantis C, Robbins A, Kohler B, Jemal A . Childhood and adolescent cancer statistics, 2014. CA Cancer J Clin. 2014; 64(2):83-103. DOI: 10.3322/caac.21219. View

Jenney M, Faragher E, Jones P, Woodcock A . Lung function and exercise capacity in survivors of childhood leukaemia. Med Pediatr Oncol. 1995; 24(4):222-30. DOI: 10.1002/mpo.2950240403. View

Nam G, Kaul S, Wu Y, Nelson R, Wright J, Fluchel M . A meta-analysis of body mass index of adolescent and adult survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. J Cancer Surviv. 2015; 9(3):412-21. DOI: 10.1007/s11764-014-0415-x. View

10.

Murnane A, Gough K, Thompson K, Holland L, Conyers R . Adolescents and young adult cancer survivors: exercise habits, quality of life and physical activity preferences. Support Care Cancer. 2014; 23(2):501-10. DOI: 10.1007/s00520-014-2446-2. View

11.

Riggs L, Piscione J, Laughlin S, Cunningham T, Timmons B, Courneya K . Exercise training for neural recovery in a restricted sample of pediatric brain tumor survivors: a controlled clinical trial with crossover of training versus no training. Neuro Oncol. 2016; 19(3):440-450. PMC: 5464296. DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/now177. View

12.

Jarvela L, Saraste M, Niinikoski H, Hannukainen J, Heinonen O, Lahteenmaki P . Home-Based Exercise Training Improves Left Ventricle Diastolic Function in Survivors of Childhood ALL: A Tissue Doppler and Velocity Vector Imaging Study. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2016; 63(9):1629-35. DOI: 10.1002/pbc.26051. View

13.

Sweet-Cordero E, Biegel J . The genomic landscape of pediatric cancers: Implications for diagnosis and treatment. Science. 2019; 363(6432):1170-1175. PMC: 7757338. DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw3535. View

14.

Morales J, Valenzuela P, Herrera-Olivares A, Bano-Rodrigo A, Castillo-Garcia A, Rincon-Castanedo C . Exercise Interventions and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood Cancer: A Meta-analysis. Int J Sports Med. 2020; 41(3):141-153. DOI: 10.1055/a-1073-8104. View

15.

Bogg T, Shaw P, Cohn R, Wakefield C, Hardy L, Broderick C . Physical activity and screen-time of childhood haematopoietic stem cell transplant survivors. Acta Paediatr. 2015; 104(10):e455-9. DOI: 10.1111/apa.13120. View

16.

Gutin B, Cucuzzo N, Islam S, Smith C, Moffatt R, Pargman D . Physical training improves body composition of black obese 7- to 11-year-old girls. Obes Res. 1995; 3(4):305-12. DOI: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1995.tb00155.x. View

17.

Bogg T, Broderick C, Shaw P, Cohn R, Naumann F . Feasibility of an inpatient exercise intervention for children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Pediatr Transplant. 2015; 19(8):925-31. DOI: 10.1111/petr.12614. View

18.

Ladha A, Courneya K, Bell G, Field C, Grundy P . Effects of acute exercise on neutrophils in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors: a pilot study. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2006; 28(10):671-7. DOI: 10.1097/01.mph.0000243644.20993.54. View

19.

Morales J, Valenzuela P, Rincon-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. DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.07.008. View

20.

Hartman A, te Winkel M, van Beek R, de Muinck Keizer-Schrama S, Kemper H, Hop W . A randomized trial investigating an exercise program to prevent reduction of bone mineral density and impairment of motor performance during treatment for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2009; 53(1):64-71. DOI: 10.1002/pbc.21942. View