Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management During Cancer Treatment: ASCO Guideline
- Study type
- Clinical guideline
- Study name
- ASCO Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management 2022
- Design
- Clinical practice guideline based on a systematic review of studies (systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials) and review by an ASCO expert panel
- Sample size
- 52 systematic reviews (42 on exercise, 9 on diet and 1 on weight management) and 23 additional randomised controlled trials
- Source
- JCO · 2022
In plain words
Regular exercise, including aerobic exercise (such as walking) and resistance exercise, during cancer treatment can improve fitness and strength and reduce tiredness. For patients due to have surgery for lung cancer, exercise before the operation may shorten the hospital stay and reduce complications after surgery. A neutropenic diet (a very restricted diet meant to prevent infection) does not lower the risk of infection and is not recommended. Talk to your treating doctor before starting an exercise programme or changing your diet.
Key points
Key guideline recommendations
- Not stated in the abstract
Oncology providers should recommend regular aerobic and resistance exercise during active treatment with curative intent.
- Not stated in the abstract
Oncology providers may recommend preoperative exercise for patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer.
- Not stated in the abstract
Neutropenic diets are not recommended to prevent infection in patients with cancer during active treatment.
Treatment arms and regimens
Aerobic and resistance exercise during cancer treatment. Dose details in the full text.
Specific diets and foods, including neutropenic diets. Dose details in the full text.
Interventions for intentional weight loss and avoidance of weight gain during treatment. Dose details in the full text.
Source of the regimen details: Abstract of the paper; dose details in the full text
Doses are given for the information of specialists, as in this study’s protocol, and are not a prescription. Every drug must be prescribed by the treating physician for the individual patient.
Study population
Adults receiving active cancer treatment. The most common cancer types in the studies reviewed were breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancer.
Endpoints
Effect of the interventions on quality of life, treatment toxicity and cancer control.
Safety and side effects
No quantitative adverse event data are reported in the abstract.
Clinical significance and place in guidelines
According to this guideline, the care team should recommend regular aerobic and resistance exercise to patients receiving active treatment with curative intent, and may recommend preoperative exercise for patients undergoing surgery for lung cancer. A neutropenic diet is not recommended for preventing infection. Evidence for other dietary and weight-loss interventions during treatment is very limited and more research is needed. The current status of the guideline and the level of evidence of each recommendation should be checked in the full text.
Limitations
Evidence on other dietary and weight-loss interventions during cancer treatment was very limited, and there is a critical need for more research, especially on diet and weight loss. The most common cancer types in the studies were breast, prostate, lung and colorectal.
This summary was prepared by the editorial team from the published paper; the original paper is the final reference. Read the original abstract on PubMed.