Exercise is medicine in oncology: Engaging clinicians to help patients move through cancer
Authors
Kathryn H. Schmitz
Anna M. Campbell
Martijn M. Stuiver
Bernardine M. Pinto
Anna L. Schwartz
G. Stephen Morris
Jennifer A. Ligibel
Andrea Cheville
Daniel A. Galvão, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Catherine M. Alfano
Alpa V. Patel
Trisha Hue
Lynn H. Gerber
Robert Sallis
Niraj J. Gusani
Nicole L. Stout
Leighton Chan
Fiona Flowers
Colleen Doyle
Susan Helmrich
William Bain
Jonas Sokolof
Kerri M. Winters‐Stone
Kristin L. Campbell
Charles E. Matthews
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
CA: Cancer Journal for Clinicians
Publisher
American Cancer Society
School
Exercise Medicine Research Institute
RAS ID
30424
Abstract
Multiple organizations around the world have issued evidence-based exercise guidance for patients with cancer and cancer survivors. Recently, the American College of Sports Medicine has updated its exercise guidance for cancer prevention as well as for the prevention and treatment of a variety of cancer health-related outcomes (eg, fatigue, anxiety, depression, function, and quality of life). Despite these guidelines, the majority of people living with and beyond cancer are not regularly physically active. Among the reasons for this is a lack of clarity on the part of those who work in oncology clinical settings of their role in assessing, advising, and referring patients to exercise. The authors propose using the American College of Sports Medicine's Exercise Is Medicine initiative to address this practice gap. The simple proposal is for clinicians to assess, advise, and refer patients to either home-based or community-based exercise or for further evaluation and intervention in outpatient rehabilitation. To do this will require care coordination with appropriate professionals as well as change in the behaviors of clinicians, patients, and those who deliver the rehabilitation and exercise programming. Behavior change is one of many challenges to enacting the proposed practice changes. Other implementation challenges include capacity for triage and referral, the need for a program registry, costs and compensation, and workforce development. In conclusion, there is a call to action for key stakeholders to create the infrastructure and cultural adaptations needed so that all people living with and beyond cancer can be as active as is possible for them.
DOI
10.3322/caac.21579
Access Rights
free_to_read
Comments
Schmitz, K. H., Campbell, A. M., Stuiver, M. M., Pinto, B. M., Schwartz, A. L., Morris, G. S., ... Matthews, C. E. (2019). Exercise is medicine in oncology: Engaging clinicians to help patients move through cancer. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 69, 468-484. Available here