CLINICAL QUESTION

Does resistance training improve cancer-related fatigue and quality of life before, during, or after cancer treatments?

EVIDENCE-BASED ANSWER

Studies of up to 12 weeks' duration show that resistance training during cancer treatment decreases cancer-related fatigue compared with no training. It is unclear whether this training improves quality of life, and there is insufficient evidence to determine whether risks are associated with resistance training.¹ (Strength of Recommendation: B, inconsistent or limited-quality patient-oriented evidence.)

PRACTICE POINTERS

Cancer-related fatigue manifests as prolonged intense exhaustion affecting physical and mental health secondary to the diagnosis of cancer and the subsequent effects of cancer treatment.^1,2 It is not simply tiredness relieved by rest or relaxation. In the United States, there were approximately 1.8 million new cancer cases reported in 2022, making the recognition of cancer-related fatigue important to family medicine physicians.³ The primary objective by the authors of this Cochrane review was to determine whether the incorporation of resistance training before, during, or after the cancer treatment regimen mitigates cancer-related fatigue or its subsequent effects (eg, quality of life, unwanted or harmful effects, depression, anxiety).