Aims:
This living systematic review aims to investigate the effectiveness of exercise interventions on survival outcomes in adults living with or beyond any type of cancer.
Background:
The impact of exercise therapy on a range of physical and psychosocial health outcomes in people with cancer has been widely investigated. Epidemiological evidence has shown an association between physical activity and improved survival in people with cancer. Evidence from randomised controlled exercise trials evaluating effect on survival is mixed and underpowered. Due to the increasing availability of evidence, including from trials with larger sample sizes, there is a need for meta-analyses of the existing literature, as well as development of a platform that is continually updated and evaluated.
Methods:
A systematic search of databases and clinical trial registries will be conducted to identify published, active and planned studies investigating the effect of exercise interventions on survival outcomes (including overall, progression-free, and cancer-specific survival) in people living with or beyond cancer. Study screening and data extraction will be completed independently by two reviewers. Risk of bias and overall evidence quality (GRADE) will be assessed. Meta-analyses and sub-group analyses will explore outcomes with sufficient homogenous evidence available.
Results:
The protocol will be shared on Open Science Framework and registered on PROSPERO. Preliminary scoping searches suggest that there has been an exponential increase in studies since 2007, with an average of nine trials per year registered over the past five years (July 2024). Preliminary results of the review will be presented.
Conclusions:
This living systematic review will provide clinicians and researchers with a continually updated evidence base, summarising the efficacy of exercise interventions on cancer survival outcomes. A comprehensive overview of the evidence-to-date will be provided, with the final product being a contemporary resource capable of summarising rapidly-emerging evidence as it becomes available.