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The Role of Physical Activity on Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’...
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The Role of Physical Activity on Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’ Health-Related Quality of Life

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Chronic Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 3698

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisa Grazioli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 15, 00135 Rome, Italy
Interests: exercise and health; physical activity; breast cancer; oncology; quality of Life; neurodegenerative diseases; oxidative stress; medical research
Dr. Claudia Cerulli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 15, 00135 Rome, Italy
Interests: exercise and health; physical activity; breast cancer; oncology; quality of Life; animal assisted intervention; cognitive diseases; medical research

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and the number of people living with or beyond cancer is expected to rise due to screening campaigns and advancements in treatments. Recently, physical activity has been included in integrative therapy either immediately after a cancer diagnosis or in the early steps post surgery because of its ability to improve survival outcomes. Moreover, physical activity might have substantial potential to ameliorate the short- and long-term effects of cancer treatments, such as fatigue, body fat gain, and physical fitness loss. Moreover, adapted exercise can help prevent the development of other chronic diseases for which survivors might be at risk, such as diabetes and CVD, reducing the odds of a recurrence and increasing survival.

We are pleased to invite you to provide research about the role of exercise and physical activity on primary and tertiary cancer prevention, focusing on the improvement of patients’ health-related quality of life through ameliorating the short- and long-term effects of cancer treatments.

This Special Issue aims to collect original studies and reviews that examine the potential role of exercise in ameliorating health-related quality of life in cancer patients immediately after diagnosis and during and/or after treatment.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Clinical trials.
  • Observational studies.
  • Narrative reviews.
  • Systematic reviews.
  • Meta-analysis reviews.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Elisa Grazioli
Dr. Claudia Cerulli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • exercise
  • physical activity
  • oncology
  • health-related quality of life
  • survival

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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20 pages, 2094 KiB  
Article
Feasibility, Acceptability, and Outcomes of Project Rally: Pilot Study of a YMCA-Based Pickleball Program for Cancer Survivors
by Nathan H. Parker, Alexandre de Cerqueira Santos, Riley Mintrone, Kea Turner, Steven K. Sutton, Tracey O’Connor, Jeffrey Huang, Morgan Lael, Summer Cruff, Kari Grassia, Mart Theodore De Vera, Morgan Bean, Rachel Carmella, Susan T. Vadaparampil and Jennifer I. Vidrine
Healthcare 2025, 13(3), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13030256 - 28 Jan 2025
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Abstract
Background: Physical activity helps cancer survivors ameliorate physiological and psychosocial effects of disease and treatments. However, few cancer survivors meet physical activity recommendations, with many facing barriers such as limited interest, enjoyment, and social support. It is critical to develop enjoyable and supportive [...] Read more.
Background: Physical activity helps cancer survivors ameliorate physiological and psychosocial effects of disease and treatments. However, few cancer survivors meet physical activity recommendations, with many facing barriers such as limited interest, enjoyment, and social support. It is critical to develop enjoyable and supportive physical activity programs to improve well-being among the growing population of cancer survivors. Pickleball is increasingly popular due to its unique combination of physical activity, friendly competition, and social interaction, making it a promising strategy to increase and sustain physical activity in cancer survivorship. Objective: We examined feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes in a single-arm pilot study of Project Rally, a YMCA-based pickleball program for adult cancer survivors. Results: Twenty-one cancer survivors and seven family or friend partners enrolled in Project Rally with a targeted program duration of 3–7 months. All programming and study assessments occurred at a single YMCA with coaching and supervision from a YMCA exercise trainer and certified pickleball coach. Feasibility and acceptability were strong and met a priori targets for recruitment, retention, intervention adherence, and ratings of program aspects. Participants demonstrated significant increases in physical activity and improvements in aspects of fitness, physical functioning, and social support. Conclusion: These results will inform further development of the Project Rally program to increase physical activity and improve cancer survivorship outcomes, including efforts to expand the program’s scale and reach more survivors via community-based delivery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Physical Activity on Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’ Health-Related Quality of Life)
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15 pages, 677 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Association between Health-Related Physical Fitness and Quality of Life in Patients with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Anita Borsati, Diana Giannarelli, Lorenzo Belluomini, Christian Ciurnelli, Alessio Colonna, Irene D’Amico, Arianna Daniele, Nicole Del Bianco, Linda Toniolo, Ilaria Trestini, Daniela Tregnago, Jessica Insolda, Marco Sposito, Massimo Lanza, Michele Milella, Federico Schena, Sara Pilotto and Alice Avancini
Healthcare 2024, 12(16), 1643; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12161643 - 17 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1397
Abstract
Whereas an exercise intervention effectively improves patients’ quality of life, little information is available about the contribution of each physical fitness component. This study aims to explore the association between physical fitness components and the quality-of-life domain in patients with cancer. Between September [...] Read more.
Whereas an exercise intervention effectively improves patients’ quality of life, little information is available about the contribution of each physical fitness component. This study aims to explore the association between physical fitness components and the quality-of-life domain in patients with cancer. Between September 2021 and August 2023, 160 patients with mixed cancer types visiting the Oncology Unit were selected on a consecutive basis according to selection criteria. They underwent a comprehensive baseline assessment including the six-minute walking test, the handgrip strength test, the isometric leg press test, the back scratch, sit and reach tests, their waist–hip ratio, and their body mass index. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life and Core Questionnaire was used to measure the quality of life. The sample size was based on the use of regression models to study associations between clinical characteristics and fitness outcomes. All of the analyses were performed using the SPSS v.25 statistical package. Patients had a mean age of 58 years, 68% were female, 42% were affected by breast cancer, and all were receiving anticancer treatments. Higher functional capacity was associated with better global health status (p < 0.0001) and physical (p < 0.0001), role (p < 0.0001), emotional (p = 0.026), and social function (p = 0.016) and inversely linked with fatigue (p = 0.001). Lower-limb flexibility was significantly associated with all of the domains except for role and social functions. The waist–hip ratio was inversely associated with physical function (p < 0.0001) and positively related to fatigue (p = 0.037). Exercise programs aiming to improve the quality of life in cancer should be addressed to optimize these fitness components. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Physical Activity on Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’ Health-Related Quality of Life)
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Other

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21 pages, 1767 KiB  
Systematic Review
The Effect of Exercise-Based Interventions on Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients with Hematological Malignancies: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Anita Borsati, Arianna Murri, Valentina Natalucci, Claudia Cerulli, Elena Barbieri, Francesco Lucertini, Massimo Lanza, Attilio Parisi, Christel Galvani, Pasqualina Buono, Annamaria Mancini, Francesco Fischetti, Luca Poli, Andrea Di Blasio, Alice Iannaccone, Alice Avancini, Caterina Mauri, Carlo Ferri Marini and Elisa Grazioli
Healthcare 2025, 13(5), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050467 - 21 Feb 2025
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Abstract
Background/Objectives: Hematological cancers encompass a collection of heterogeneous conditions. The need for repeated treatments and prolonged hospitalization leads to a decrease in health-related quality of life. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the effect of exercise interventions on functioning scales, global health [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Hematological cancers encompass a collection of heterogeneous conditions. The need for repeated treatments and prolonged hospitalization leads to a decrease in health-related quality of life. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the effect of exercise interventions on functioning scales, global health status, and symptoms in patients with hematological cancers. Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were systematically screened, and randomized controlled trials were included. The primary outcome was health-related quality of life assessed through the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model and 95% confidence intervals. Results: A total of 14 trials involving 837 patients with mixed cancer types were included. Most studies evaluated exercise interventions during hospitalization, with aerobic and resistance training at moderate intensity being the most common modalities and adherence rates ranging from 28% to 100%. Exercise programs significantly improved physical (SMD 0.23; 95% CI: 0.06 to 0.40; p = 0.008), emotional (SMD 0.19; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.36; p = 0.020) and cognitive functioning (SMD 0.20; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.37; p = 0.026), and global health status (SMD 0.24; 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.46; p = 0.027). Significant reductions were observed in fatigue (SMD −0.33; 95% CI: −0.52 to −0.14; p = 0.001), pain (SMD −0.34; 95% CI: −0.53 to −0.15; p = 0.000), and insomnia (SMD −0.22; 95% CI: −0.41 to −0.03; p = 0.024). Heterogeneity was minimal across most domains, suggesting consistent findings. Conclusions: Exercise interventions are effective in enhancing functioning scales and global health status and reducing symptom burden in patients receiving intensive treatments. Future research is required to explore the long-term effects of exercise and develop tailored programs for specific hematologic malignancies and treatment settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Physical Activity on Cancer Patients’ and Survivors’ Health-Related Quality of Life)
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