Table 2. Characteristics of included studies.
| First author, year, country | Study design/No. of participants (drop out) | Classified study types | Age, mean (SD or range) | Cancer type, No. (%) | Status | Intervention | Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| When | Where/by whom | How | |||||||
| Jastrzębski, 2015, Poland15 | RS/pulmonary rehabilitation: 12 (5) vs. no exercise: 12 (0) | Intervention–control | 59.0 (7) | Lung (100) | Stage III or IV; earlier stage but unsuitable for surgery or radiation | On chemotherapy | Hospital/not reported | Four 2-week rehabilitation cycles including Nordic Walking, aerobic exercises and respiratory exercises, etc. | Cardiovascular endurance, quality of life, pulmonary function, others |
| Jensen, 2014, Germany19 | RS/resistance: 13 (2) vs. aerobic: 13 (3) | 1. Before–after (resistance) | 55.0 (13.1) | Colon (28.6), Cholangiocellular (19.0), rectal (23.8), etc. | Metastases in other organs | On palliative chemotherapy | Outpatients clinic/not reported | 1. Resistance: 45 min, twice a week, 24 sessions over 12 weeks | Physical activity, strength, quality of life, others |
| 2. Before–after (aerobic) | 2. Aerobic: 45 min on a bicycle ergometer twice a week for 12 weeks | ||||||||
| Rief, 2014, Germany16 | RS/resistance: 30 (0) vs. passive physical therapy: 30 (0) | Intervention–control | I: 61.3 (10.1) | Lung (33.3), prostate (23.3), breast (18.3), etc. | Metastases in spinal bone | On radiotherapy | Hospital/physiotherapist | 30 min, 5 days per week for the two-week RT period | Pain |
| C: 64.1 (10.9) | |||||||||
| Cormie, 2013 Australia17 | RS/resistance: 10 (2) vs. usual care: 10 (3) | Intervention–control | I: 73.1 (7.5) | Prostate (100) | Metastases in bone | On medication | Exercise clinic/accredited exercise physiologist | 60 min, twice-weekly sessions for 12 weeks | Physical activity, cardiovascular endurance, physical performance, strength, balance, quality of life, pain, fatigue, others |
| C: 71.2 (6.9) | |||||||||
| Litterini, 2013, USA20 | RS/cardiovascular exercise: 32 (3) vs. resistance: 34 (11) | 1. Before–after (cardiovascular exercise) | 62.4 (13.5) | Breast (21.2), colorectal (13.6), lung (16.7), etc. | Metastases in other organs | On chemotherapy (36.4), chemotherapy and radiotherapy (28.8), none (16.7), etc. | Hospital-based fitness facility/oncology-trained exercise specialists (a doctor of physical therapy, personal trainers) | 1. Cardiovascular: 30–60 min, twice weekly for 10 weeks with bicycle, treadmill, Nustep (TRS 4000), etc. | Physical performance, pain, fatigue |
| 2. Before–after (resistance) | 2. Resistance: 30–60 min, twice weekly for 10 weeks with Circuit weight training equipment, etc. | ||||||||
| Oldervoll, 2011, Norway18 | RS/physical exercise: 121 (43) vs. usual care: 110 (25) | Intervention–control | I: 62.6 (11.3) | Gastrointestinal (31.6), breast (22.0), lung (16.5), etc. | Incurable and metastatic cancer | On chemotherapy (20.7), hormonal therapy (17.4), radiotherapy (7.4), etc. | Outpatient clinic/physiotherapist | 50–60 min, two exercise sessions per week for an 8-week with circuit training and stretching and relaxation | Cardiovascular endurance, physical performance, strength, fatigue |
| C: 62.2 (10.7) | |||||||||
| Loughney, 2017, UK21 | NRS/exercise: 23 (0) vs. usual care: 10 (0) | Before–after (exercise) | 64.0 (45–82) | Rectal | Locally advanced, no distant metastasis | Between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and surgery | Hospital/not reported | 40 min, 3 sessions per week for a 6-week | Physical activity |
| Quist, 2015, Denmark23 | NRS/group training: 114 (43) | Before–after | 66.0 (31–88) | Lung | Stage IIIb–IV | On chemotherapy | Hospital/research physiotherapist | 90 min, twice weekly for a 6-week with cycling and strength training | Cardiovascular endurance, strength, quality of life, pulmonary function, others |
| Beydoun, 2014, Australia22 | NRS/at home exercise: 255 (30), face to face exercise: 396 (17), man plan support: 208 (28) | Before–after (face to face exercise) | 71.0 (8) | Prostate (100) | Relapsed or metastatic | On androgen deprivation therapy | Hospital/accredited exercise physiologist | A 10-week exercise programme consisting of two group sessions per week | Cardiovascular endurance, strength, physical performance, others |
| Cormie, 2014, Australia24 | NRS/resistance: 20 (5) | Before–after | 70.0 (9.8) | Prostate (85.0), breast cancer (15.0) | Metastases in bone | On medication | Exercise clinic/accredited exercise physiologist | 60 min, twice-weekly sessions for 12 weeks | Physical activity, cardiovascular endurance, physical performance, strength, balance, quality of life, pain, fatigue, others |
| van den Dungen, 2014, Netherland26 | NRS/exercise: 26 (4) | Before–after | 54.5 (8.9) | Breast (26.9), gastrointestinal (30.8), other (42.3) | Incurable metastasized, recurrent or progressive | On palliative anticancer therapy | Physical therapy center/physical therapist | 12-min, twice-weekly for a 6-week, resistance and aerobic interval training | Cardiovascular endurance, strength, quality of life, fatigue, others |
SD = standard deviation, C = comparator, I = intervention, NRS = non-randomized study, RS = randomized study.