• Sarah A Vermillion, Alston James, Robert D Dorrell, Peter Brubaker, Shannon L Mihalko, Adrienne R Hill, and Clancy J Clark.
• Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 475 Vine Street, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, USA.
• Syst Rev. 2018 Jul 24; 7 (1): 103.

BackgroundGastrointestinal cancer patients are susceptible to significant postoperative morbidity. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of preoperative exercise therapy (PET) on patients undergoing surgery for GI malignancies.MethodsIn accordance with PRISMA statement, all prospective clinical trials of PET for patients diagnosed with GI cancer were identified by searching MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, ProQuest, PROSPERO, and DARE (March 8, 2017). The characteristics and outcomes of each study were extracted and reviewed. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool by two independent reviewers.ResultsNine studies (534 total patients) were included in the systematic review. All interventions involved aerobic training but varied in terms of frequency, duration, and intensity. PET was effective in reducing heart rate, as well as increasing oxygen consumption and peak power output. The postoperative course was also improved, as PET was associated with more rapid recovery to baseline functional capacity after surgery.ConclusionsPET for surgical patients with gastrointestinal malignancies may improve physical fitness and aid in postoperative recovery.

10 keywords...

hide…