The Influence of Therapeutic Exercise on Survival and the Quality of Life in Survivorship of Women with Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

Background: Ovarian cancer is the most difficult of all gynaecological cancers to treat, mainly due to its late diagnosis. Although exercise interventions have been reported to be safe and beneficial for ovarian cancer, treatment does not include it and is usually a combination of chemotherapy and surgery. It is increasingly common to include exercise as a tool to increase survival in the cancer population. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of therapeutic exercise on survival and the quality of life in survivorship in women with ovarian cancer. Methods: Literature review of clinical trials, reviews and pilot studies compiled in three databases collected in PubMed, PEDro and Scopus. Results: Of the 44 articles found, 10 were selected. Improvements in survival, quality of life and comorbidities associated with ovarian cancer were found with exercise interventions as a treatment tool. Conclusions: Through the application of therapeutic exercise, improvements in survival and quality of life were observed, as well as in the general symptomatology of ovarian cancer. No adverse effects have been found with its use, but future studies with larger sample sizes with more detailed and individualised interventions combined with conventional treatment are needed.

Exercise in cancer patients: assistance levels and referral pathways—a position statement from the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology

“…Exercise is important in NAT/AT settings for several reasons: first, exercise improves surgical outcomes, as well as overall survival and disease-free survival rates [3,26,27]; second, exercise has been found to enhance patients' quality of life and diminish fatigue levels, among other cancer-related symptoms [28,29]. Overall, incorporating exercise into neoadjuvant treatment can have important benefits for cancer patients [30][31][32].…”

“…For cancer survivors, exercise could potentially maintain its benefits by improving physical function, reducing the risk of recurrence, improving depressive symptoms, fatigue and lymphedema, and enhancing overall quality of life [3,30,39,40]. There is not enough data and a weaker level of evidence about cardiac protection and cognitive function impairment [41].…”