Multisymptom Burden in Cancer Survivors: Benefits of Physical Activity

In contrast with other leading causes of mortality, the cancer death rate in the United States continues to decline, reflecting improvements in prevention, screening, and treatment. Despite these advances, there has been limited development of strategies to counter the unwanted and debilitating effects associated with cancer and its treatments. Indeed, syndromes including cachexia, cardiotoxicity, fatigue, and mucositis among others plague cancer survivors, leading to poor life quality and premature mortality. The systemic nature of these impairments creates a strong rationale for treatment strategies to mitigate syndromes affecting cancer survivors. Currently, however, there are limited treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to counter the debilitating side effects of cancer and cancer treatments. In noncancer clinical populations, physical activity is a well-established strategy to increase muscle mass, improve cardiovascular health, enhance energy levels, and promote gut health. Although physical activity programs are widely encouraged for cancer survivors, researchers are just beginning to understand the physiological basis of their positive effects and how they can be maximized for different cancer populations and treatments. This graphical review describes the benefits of physical activity and associated mechanisms for ameliorating select side effects of cancer and its therapeutics.