Abstract
Objective
This study was designed to critically evaluate the effect of home-based walking on
cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with breast cancer (BC) receiving anticancer
treatment.
Data Sources
Eight databases were systematically searched from inception to March 2021 for randomized
controlled trials (RCTs) without language restrictions.
Study Selection
Two reviewers (Y.Y. and Z.N.) scanned the titles and abstracts and then read the full
texts of potentially eligible trials to screen the literature. Inclusion criteria
were studies of home-based walking (HBW) intervention in adult patients with BC, using
fatigue as a primary or secondary outcome, and containing extractable fatigue scores.
Data Extraction
Two reviewers (Y.Y. and Z.N.) critically and independently assessed the risk of bias
using Cochrane Collaboration criteria and extracted correlated data using the designed
extraction form. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used when the outcome
assessment tools were different. All of the analyses were performed using Review Manager
5.3.
Data Synthesis
Eight RCTs including 764 patients (HBW: 377, control: 387) meeting the inclusion criteria
for the meta-analysis were identified. HBW had a significant effect on CRF in patients
with BC receiving multiple anticancer treatments (SMD=−0.61; 95% confidence interval
[CI], −0.86 to −0.36; P<.001). HBW without other exercises (SMD=−0.83; 95% CI, −1.39 to −0.27; P=.003), walking for a gradually increased duration (SMD=−1.24; 95% CI, −2.20 to −0.28;
P=.010), and no restrictions on walking intensity (SMD=−1.03; 95% CI, −1.75 to −0.31;
P=.005) demonstrated substantial effects on CRF. Of the 8 included studies, only 3
reported adverse events.
Conclusions
HBW can be considered as an alternative therapy for relieving CRF in patients with
BC undergoing anticancer treatment.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
BC (breast cancer), CI (confidence interval), CRF (cancer- related fatigue), HBW (home-based walking), RCT (randomized controlled trial), SMD (standardized mean difference)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 20, 2021
Accepted:
June 15,
2021
Received in revised form:
June 10,
2021
Received:
June 1,
2021
Footnotes
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 81801098) and the Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (project no. 18YJCZH164).
Disclosures: none
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
