Further research is still required to determine the optimal timing, frequency, and intensity of physical activity for childhood cancer survivors, according to findings from a comprehensive literature review that was published in Aging and Cancer.1
Notably, the review concluded that regular physical activity is linked to a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality among childhood cancer survivors. Increased neurocognition is an added benefit of participating in exercise. However, because different cancer therapies are linked to varying amounts cardiovascular tissue damage and impacted regenerative potential, the extent to which exercise and health are linked may greatly differ between survivors.
“Our review shows that modifiable lifestyle choices, including PA [physical activity], are likely effective in improving physical fitness and reducing the risk for future organ dysfunction,” Chelsea Goodenough, PhD, Epidemiology and Cancer Control Department, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and colleagues, explained in the study.
“Most research has been focused on improving physical fitness to [cardiovascular disease] risk, due to its association with early mortality in childhood cancer survivors. However, because childhood cancer survivors are also at increased risk for early onset endocrine, musculoskeletal, and severe neurological disorders, and because PA and associated gains in physical fitness mitigates risk for these diseases in other populations, observational and interventional work is needed to determine if increasing PA and improving physical fitness decreases the risk of future chronic disease in childhood cancer survivors.”
Source: Nuanced Research Needed on the Value of Exercise for Childhood Cancer Survivors
