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Effects of concurrent aerobic and strength training in women diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the potential impact of concurrent aerobic and strength training (CT) on women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Methods

Articles published in English and indexed in the PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, The Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL Plus databases from their inception to 12 December 2023 were searched. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials that involved CT and assessed cardiorespiratory fitness, cancer-related fatigue, and quality of life (QoL) using specialized tools. Subgroup analyses were conducted as per treatment status and characteristics. Risk of bias was evaluated with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (RoB 2.0).

Results

This study included 29 studies involving 2071 participants. CT was found to significantly improve patients’ cardiorespiratory fitness (weighted mean difference = 4.24 mL/kg/min, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.93–6.55, P < 0.001), cancer-related fatigue (standardized mean difference (SMD) =  − 0.74, 95% CI =  − 1.05 to − 0.44, P < 0.001), and QoL (SMD = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.50–1.01, P < 0.001). The analysis of secondary outcomes found that CT could significantly improve patients’ body composition, anxiety, pain, sleep disorders, and anorexia and enhance upper and lower limb muscle strength, but was ineffective on depression.

Conclusion

For women with breast cancer, CT significantly enhances cardiorespiratory fitness, alleviates cancer-related fatigue, and improves QoL. The health benefits of CT are inferior in the postmenopausal cohort compared to the overall study population.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

CT is advisable for female breast cancer survivors due to its significant effectiveness in mitigating cancer-related fatigue, enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness, and improving the QoL.

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Data availability

Data generated or analyzed during this study are provided in full within the article.

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Acknowledgements

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the authors and researchers of all the original studies that have contributed to this meta-analysis. Their invaluable work forms the foundation upon which our analysis is built, and their dedication to advancing knowledge in our field is deeply appreciated. Without their rigorous efforts and pioneering research, this comprehensive synthesis of evidence would not have been possible.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant numbers 2022YFC2010201).

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All authors contributed substantially to this paper. Bing Han and Peizhen Zhang involved in conceptualization, methodology, and writing—original draft; Bing Han, Yaya Duan, and Peizhen Zhang involved in writing—review and editing; Bing Han, Yaya Duan, and Guoli Du involved in data curation and investigation; Bing Han and Ji** Chen involved in formal analysis; Peizhen Zhang involved in supervision, validation, funding acquisition, and project administration; Bing Han, Peng Pi, and Liqing Zeng involved in software; Bing Han and Yaya Duan involved in visualization and resources. All authors have read and approved the manuscript for publication.

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Correspondence to Peizhen Zhang.

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Han, B., Duan, Y., Zhang, P. et al. Effects of concurrent aerobic and strength training in women diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Cancer Surviv (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-024-01634-y

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