BACKGROUND: Exercise can be beneficial for patients with colorectal cancer; however, few studies have evaluated the effect of exercise on cancer-related fatigue and quality of life. AIM OF THE STUDY: To assess the efficacy of physical exercise for patients with colorectal cancer during treatment, we conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. METHODS: Databases, including PubMed, Ovid, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database were searched to identify suitable studies. Stata 12.0 was used for statistical analysis, and sensitivity analysis was conducted. Nine, five, three, and five studies included data that could be evaluated to assess the effects of physical exercise on cancer-related fatigue, cognitive factors, social factors, and physical factors, respectively, in patients with colorectal cancer during treatment. Ten studies, including 934 patients, were selected for meta-analysis, including five each published in the English and Chinese languages. RESULTS: Significant effects of exercise were detected for cancer-related fatigue (standardized mean difference (SMD) -1.34, p < 0.001) and social factors (SMD 0.67, p = 0.012). Moderate intensity exercise and exercise for less than 12 weeks were identified as effective for preventing cancer-related fatigue. Further, exercise can also improve the level of social support experienced by patients; however, our data indicate that exercise has no significant effect on cognitive or physiological factors. CONCLUSIONS: Medium intensity exercise can effectively reduce cancer-related fatigue and improve the quality of life of patients with colorectal cancer.
With permission from Excerpta Medica Inc.

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