title: Are exercise programs effective for improving health-related quality of life among cancer survivors? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise interventions on overall health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its domains among cancer survivors who have completed primary treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  11 electronic databases were searched from inception (dates varied) to October 2011. The authors also identified eligible trials through a search of additional sources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  40 trials with 3,694 participants met the inclusion criteria. At 12 weeks, cancer survivors exposed to exercise interventions had greater positive improvement in overall HRQOL (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.16, 0.81]), emotional well-being (SMD 0.33; 95% CI [0.05, 0.61]), and social functioning (SMD 0.45; 95% CI [0.02, 0.87]); and had a significant reduction in anxiety (SMD -0.26; 95% CI [-0.44, -0.07]) and fatigue (SMD -0.82; 95% CI [-1.5, -0.14]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exercise programs have a beneficial effect on HRQOL and most of its domains and can be integrated into the management plans for cancer survivors who have completed treatment. Future research is needed to help understand specific attributes of exercise programs that are beneficial for improving HRQOL within and across cancer types.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence presented in this review supports the inclusion of exercise programs in clinical guidelines for the management of cancer survivors who have completed treatment, such as the Oncology Nursing Society's Putting Evidence Into Practice resource.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
authors.forename: Shiraz I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Mishra
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Trials in the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore.
authors.forename: Roberta W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Scherer
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geigle
authors.affiliation: School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gotay
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation; D011788:Quality of Life; D017741:Survivors
keywords: anxiety; bicycling; breathing exercises; depression; exercise; fatigue; health status; neoplasm; neoplasm therapy; physical activity; quality of life; resistance training; survivors; walking; yoga