Effect of Exercise on Functional Capacity in Patients with Advanced Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Purpose: To determine the impact of exercise on functional capacity, measured through the "Six minutes walking test" (6MWT) in patients with advanced cancer stage.

Methods: Systematic research on PubMed, Cochrane Library, and SportDiscus was conducted. Randomized controlled trials were eligible if they examined the effect of exercise on 6MWT.

Results: Overall, a total of ten trials were included in the primary analysis. Compared to the controls, the exercise intervention was associated with an increase in functional capacity (+20.86 m; CI: -5.90 to 47.72, p = 0.12) although not reaching the statistical significance. Sensitivity analysis revealed an improvement for studies proposing a supervised exercise intervention towards the statistical significance. Few adverse events were associated with exercise training, and the median withdrawals rate was 17%.

Conclusions: Exercise may have a beneficial role on functional capacity in patients with advanced cancer, especially if supervised.