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Databases searched were PubMed, PsycINFO, CANCERLIT, and Cochrane Library through May 2003.
Twelve randomized trials were included. Nonrandomized trials, pilot studies, and studies in which exercise was combined with other therapies, such as cognitive therapy or diet, were excluded. Outcomes were fatigue, health-related quality of life, physical exercise capacity (maximal oxygen consumption), and other physical performance measures. Treatment evaluated aerobic exercise training (10 studies) and resistance exercise (two studies).
Three studies reported a significant reduction in fatigue. One study observed a significant reduction in fatigue, although this did not reach statistical significance. In another study, no statistical analyses were performed to examine between-group differences.
The reviewed studies indicated promising effects on both physiological and psychological outcomes. However, the reviewed studies differed widely in the length of the exercise program, its intensity, content, and frequency, and the timing of the interventions in relation to the patient’s disease and treatment.
Future exercise intervention studies should also identify fewer and more specific endpoints.