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Nutrition and Physical Exercise in the Patients with Cancer

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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2022) | Viewed by 13864

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Line Merethe Oldervoll

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Guest Editor

Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, NTNU/Centre for Crisis Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
Interests: health promotion; rehabilitation; cancer patients; fatigue; health related quality of life; physical function; nutrition; physical exercise

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As the Guest Editor of the Special Issue described below, I would like to invite you to contribute a paper focused on “Nutrition and Physical Exercise in Patients with Cancer” to the Journal Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643; IF: 4.546).

During the last two decades, randomized trials have demonstrated that physical exercise is feasible and associated with better self-reported outcomes regarding fatigue, health-related quality of life, and physical functioning both during and after cancer treatment. Thus, physical exercise is an important adjuvant treatment for cancer patients across the entire cancer continuum (trajectory) from prehabilitation to palliative treatment. However, results concerning older cancer patients (above 70 years) are rarely reported.

The results concerning studies on nutritional intake in cancer patients are more divergent. For many patients treated for cancer, weight loss, a loss of strength, fatigue, and a decreased quality of life are parts of a multidimensional problem related to several factors, e.g., inadequate food intake and inactivity. Poor nutritional statuses in cancer patients often lead to reductions in muscle mass, which may occur at any stage (both curative and palliative) and often co-exist with obesity.

Most previous studies have focused on either nutrition or physical exercise. However, physical exercise may be of importance for the full effects of nutritional interventions, and vice versa, and sufficient nutrition is essential for the optimal effects of physical exercise. In addition, the use of digital platforms to exchange information and monitor activity has become popular in recent years.

For this Special Issue, we invite papers that expand our knowledge on the role of nutrition and physical exercise in combination across the entire cancer trajectory, involving patients from prehabilitation to the palliative stage of the disease. Especially, articles focusing on older cancer patients, the use of digital platforms and patients with severe muscle-mass depletion at any stage of the disease are of special interest.

We encourage authors to submit articles with both qualitative and quantitative designs (systematic reviews and meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, other types of intervention and feasibility studies, protocol papers and observational studies).

Prof. Dr. Line Merethe Oldervoll
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

nutrition and physical exercise in combination
vulnerable cancer patients
cancer patients with advanced disease
health related quality of life

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

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10 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessReview

Supportive Care in Oncology—From Physical Activity to Nutrition

by Thorsten Schmidt, Philip Süß, Dominik M. Schulte, Anne Letsch and Wiebke Jensen

Nutrients 2022, 14(6), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14061149 - 09 Mar 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2944

Abstract

The diagnosis and treatment of cancer are associated with impairment at the physical and at psychological level. In addition, side effects are a potentially treatment-limiting factor that may necessitate dose reduction, delay, or even discontinuation of therapy, with negative consequences for outcome and mean survival. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity and sports and exercise therapy programs are not only practicable but also recommendable for oncologic patients during the acute phase and in the aftercare. Furthermore, nutrition plays an important role in all stages of tumor therapy. A timely integration of a nutrition therapy and physical activity in the form of physiotherapy and sports therapy serves to prevent and reduce treatment-associated side effects. Evidence-based recommendations on cancer prevention through nutrition therapy, physical activity, and sports and exercise therapy should be integrated into treatment plans for oncology patients as well as in health care services for the general population. Individual counselling by trained nutrition and exercise specialists may be advisable to receive concrete recommendations on the respective tumor entity or specific side effects. This mini review is based on a selective literature search in the PubMed database and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials on the subjects of healthy diet and physical activity in primary prevention and follow-up about cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Physical Exercise in the Patients with Cancer)

18 pages, 1606 KiB

Open AccessReview

Using Exercise and Nutrition to Alter Fat and Lean Mass in Men with Prostate Cancer Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy: A Narrative Review

by Rebekah L. Wilson, Dennis R. Taaffe, Robert U. Newton, Nicolas H. Hart, Philippa Lyons-Wall and Daniel A. Galvão

Nutrients 2021, 13(5), 1664; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13051664 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 6533

Abstract

Fat mass (FM) gain and lean mass (LM) loss are common side effects for patients with prostate cancer receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Excess FM has been associated with an increased risk of developing obesity-related comorbidities, exacerbating prostate cancer progression, and all-cause and cancer-specific mortality. LM is the predominant contributor to resting metabolic rate, with any loss impacting long-term weight management as well as physical function. Therefore, reducing FM and preserving LM may improve patient-reported outcomes, risk of disease progression, and ameliorate comorbidity development. In ADT-treated patients, exercise and nutrition programs can lead to improvements in quality of life and physical function; however, effects on body composition have been variable. The aim of this review was to provide a descriptive overview and critical appraisal of exercise and nutrition-based interventions in prostate cancer patients on ADT and their effect on FM and LM. Our findings are that FM gain and LM loss are side effects of ADT that could be reduced, prevented, or even reversed with the implementation of a combined exercise and nutrition program. However, the most effective combination of specific exercise and nutrition prescriptions are yet to be determined, and thus should be a focus for future studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Physical Exercise in the Patients with Cancer)

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Other

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16 pages, 966 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

The Effectiveness of Nutrition Interventions Combined with Exercise in Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review

by Fatemeh Sadeghi, David Mockler, Emer M. Guinan, Juliette Hussey and Suzanne L. Doyle

Nutrients 2021, 13(8), 2842; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082842 - 18 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3591

Abstract

Malnutrition and muscle wasting are associated with impaired physical functioning and quality of life in oncology patients. Patients diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are considered at high risk of malnutrition and impaired function. Due to continuous improvement in upper GI cancer survival rates, there has been an increased focus on multimodal interventions aimed at minimizing the adverse effects of cancer treatments and enhancing survivors’ quality of life. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined nutritional and exercise interventions in improving muscle wasting, physical functioning, and quality of life in patients with upper GI cancer. A comprehensive search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CINHAL. Of the 4780 identified articles, 148 were selected for full-text review, of which 5 studies met the inclusion criteria. Whilst reviewed studies showed promising effects of multimodal interventions on physical functioning, no significant differences in postoperative complications and hospital stay were observed. Limited available evidence showed conflicting results regarding the effectiveness of these interventions on preserving muscle mass and improving health-related quality of life. Further studies examining the impact of nutrition and exercise interventions on upper GI patient outcomes are required and would benefit from reporting a core outcome set. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Physical Exercise in the Patients with Cancer)

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