Table 4.
Safety and Feasibility Outcomes of Sport Participation in Cancer Patients.
| Author (Year) | Sport Participants (Number, Sex, Mean Age/Age Range, Cancer Type, Mean Diagnosed Years, Ongoing/Received Treatments) | Training Period, Frequency, Session Duration | Adverse Events (Incidence, Severity/Nature) | Feasibility Outcomes (Recruitment, Retention, Attendance Rate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carter et al71 (2012) | Dragon boating = 68, male and female, 53.8 years, mostly (~85%) stage I-IV adult cancers (BCa, PCa, and other unspecified types), 4.4 years after diagnosis, mostly (75%) after cancer treatments. | 3 rounds, 8 weeks/round, 2/week, 60 min/session | NR | Higher average attendance than the controls undertaking group-based walking (12.7 vs 10.8, P = .002). |
| Uth et al73 (2014)a | Soccer = 29, male, 67.1 years, advanced or locally advanced PCa (including those with bone metastasis), over 1 year after diagnosis, ADT >1 year. | 12 weeks, 2-3/week, 45-60 min/session | Five participants (~17%) had musculoskeletal injuries including fibular fracture (n = 2), partial Achilles tendon rupture (n = 1), ankle sprain (n = 1), quadriceps muscle strain (n = 1), but most recovered after conservative treatment and resumed training | Attendance rate = 76.5%; ~85% HRmax. |
| Stefani et al75 (2015) | Dragon boating = 55, female, 57 years, nonmetastatic BCa, 1 year after diagnosis and treatments (total mastectomy, quadrantectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy). | 48 months, 2/week, 120 min/session | No adverse events | NR |
| Uth et al76 (2016)a | As above (see Uth et al, 2014). | 32 weeks, 2-3/week, 45-60 min/session | As above (see Uth et al, 2014). | Attendance rate = 46.2% |
| Ng et al80 (2017) | Triathlon = 21, female, 48 years, stage 0-III BCa, 4 years post treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy). | 14 weeks, 2/week, 90 min/session | Unspecified non-training–related injury (n = 1) | Retention rate = 84% |
| Crawford et al81 (2017) | Wall climbing = 24, female, 52.5 years, localized or metastatic GCa (cured or in remission), mostly (67%) less than 2 years of diagnosis, intensive treatments completed (including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy). | 8 weeks, 2/week, 120 min/session | Leg scratch (n = 1, no medical care and training discontinuation required) | Attendance rate = 84% |
| Uth et al78 (2018)a | Soccer = 11 (only 9 reported their attendance and injury incidence), male, 71.3 years, advanced or locally advanced PCa, over 1 year after diagnosis, 45% of the participants with ADT. | 5 years of self-organized, unsupervised soccer training | Unspecified sport-related injury (n = 2) | Average weekly attendance = 1.7 times; mostly >80% HRmax (based on monitoring in 3 selected sessions) |
| Bjerre et al79 (2019) | Soccer = 109, male, 67.8 years, early-stage and advanced PCa (including bone metastasis), 3 year after diagnosis, intensive treatments completed (including prostatectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy) and 56% on ADT. | 6 months, 2/week, 60 min/session | Equivalent or even less adverse events observed in the soccer training compared with in the controls (in total, soccer vs controls = 23:30), including falls (soccer vs controls = 10:6), fracture (soccer vs controls = 1:1), hospitalization (soccer vs controls = 11:22), and cancer-specific death (soccer vs controls = 1:1); soccer-related injuries (n = 60, minor injuries such as muscle strain and sprains accounting for 97% of the total injuries). | Recruitment rate = 90%; retention rate = 98% (12 weeks) and 95% (6 months); attendance rate = 64% (12 weeks) and 59% (6 months) |
Abbreviations: ADT, androgen deprivation therapy; BCa, breast cancer; GCa, gynecologic cancer; HRmax, maximum heart rate; NR, not reported; PCa, prostate cancer.
a
Same trial with different intervention duration and outcomes reported.