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Table 1 Study designs

From: The effect of exercise-based interventions on health-related quality of life and physical function in older patients with cancer receiving medical antineoplastic treatments: a systematic review

Author, year, country

Diagnoses

Age, years

Exclusion criteria

Intervention

Control group

Timing of tests

Outcomes

Delivery

Type

Frequency & duration

Intensity

Arrieta et al [30], 2019

France

Various cancers

≥ 70

ECOG PS > 2

Serious psychiatric or cognitive problems

Inability to walk

Palliative care

Home-based, unsupervised

Individualized phoned PA advice (on resistance and aerobic exercises) and booklet with exercises

Telephone advice: 2X a month for 6 months, and then 1X a month

Exercise: starting at 2X a week → hereafter adjusted to each participant

Duration:

12 months

Adjusted to each participant’s capability

Usual care

Baseline

3 months

6 months

12 months

18 months

24 months

Physical functiona

PAb

Cognition

Falls

Hospitalizations

Institutionalizations

Mortality

Maréchal et al [31], 2019

Canada

Various cancer

≥ 65

Physically active

(≥ 75 min. Per week)

Surgery planned within 6 months

Uncontrolled hypertension

Use of beta-blockers

Supervised and unsupervised

Aerobic exercises and resistance training

3X a week for 12 weeks

Time: Aerobic: 40 min.

RT: NR

4-week progression period: aerobic workout at 70–75% of HRR → maintain

RT: 2–3 sets of 10–15 rep. with 50–65% of maximal exercise load

Active static stretching

Baseline

12 weeks

Physical function

Strength

Aerobic fitness

PAb

Balance

Flexibility

SBTb

PC

NRa

Sajid et al [32], 2016

USA

Prostate cancer

≥ 65

Cognitive impairment

Already performing or planning to perform exercise > ×1 weekly

Home-based, unsupervised

EXCAP: walking and resistance training

Wii: exercise with Wii-fit

At least 5X a week for 6 weeks

Time: NR

EXCAP: Walking: 60–70% of HRR and 3–5 rating of perceived exertion according to ACSM scale. Instructed to increase daily steps with 5–20% per week and to reach 10,000 steps per day.

RT: low/moderate intensity, instructed to increase to max. 4 sets with 15 rep.

Wii: same intensity as EXCAP

Usual care

Baseline

6 weeks

12 weeks

Physical functiona

Strength

Aerobic fitness

PA

BC

Miki et al [33], 2014

Japan

Breast and prostate cancer

≥ 65

ECOG PS > 1

Bone metastases

Received whole brain irradiation

Severe cardio-respiratory disease

Central nervous system paralysis

Supervised

Speed-feedback therapy on bicycle ergometersc

1X a week for 4 weeks

Time: 5 min.

Exercise load: 20 watts with maximum rotations of 80 rpm

Usual care

Baseline

4 weeks

Cognitiona

QoL

Physical function

  1. Abbreviations: ACSM American College of Sports Medicine, BC Body composition, ECOG Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, HRR Heart rate reserve, min. Minutes, No. Number, NR Not reported, aPrimary outcome, PA Physical activity, PC Physical capacity, PS Performance status, QoL Quality of life, Rep. Repetitions, RT Resistance training, SBT Sedentary behavior time, bSelf-reported
  2. cParticipants were instructed to pedal a bicycle ergometer to match the target speed arbitrarily displayed on a computer screen. A standard path corresponding to the target number of revolutions was displayed on the computer screen (standard number of revolutions), and the participants pedaled the bicycle ergometer while visually tracking and paying attention to following the path