The combination of an increasing number of new cancer cases and improving survival rates has led to a large and rapidly growing population with unique health-care requirements. Exercise has been proposed as a strategy to help address the issues faced by cancer patients. Supported by a growing body of research, major health organizations commonly identify the importance of incorporating exercise in cancer care and advise patients to be physically active. This systematic review comprehensively summarizes the available epidemiologic and randomized controlled trial evidence investigating the role of exercise in the management of cancer. Literature searches focused on determining the potential impact of exercise on 1) cancer mortality and recurrence and 2) adverse effects of cancer and its treatment. A total of 100 studies were reviewed involving thousands of individual patients whose exercise behavior was assessed following the diagnosis of any type of cancer. Compared with patients who performed no/less exercise, patients who exercised following a diagnosis of cancer were observed to have a lower relative risk of cancer mortality and recurrence and experienced fewer/less severe adverse effects. The findings of this review support the view that exercise is an important adjunct therapy in the management of cancer. Implications on cancer care policy and practice are discussed.

Current data suggest that incontinence, fitness, fatigue, body constitution, and also quality of life can be improved by clinical exercise in patients during and after prostate cancer. Studies were mostly ranked evidence level "2b." Only four studies, all conducted during medical treatment, reached the level "1b." It seems to be that "supervised exercise" is more effective than "non-supervised exercise." For future research, further randomized controlled trials with high methodological quality need to be conducted in order to establish evidence-based recommendations particularly for prostate cancer patients.

The results show that the training program is feasible and seems to have positive influences on physical performance and quality of life in patients undergoing an allogeneic HSCT. However, further studies are necessary to confirm these results.

Overall, balance training appears to be the most effective exercise intervention. Studies focusing exclusively on strength, or a combination of endurance and strength, appear to have a lower impact. For metabolically-induced neuropathies, endurance training also plays an important role. Further research with high methodological quality needs to be conducted in order to establish evidence-based clinical recommendations for neuropathic patients.