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Meta-analysis of rehabilitation strategies for patients with rectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy: evaluation of efficacy and safety
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H. Fei   , H. He |
| Department of Radiation Oncology, Hangzhou Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310000, Zhejiang Province, China , FHL08496@hotmail.com |
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Abstract: (49 Views) |
Background: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of rehabilitation strategies for rectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy via meta-analysis. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library for English-language studies from inception to April 2025. Eligible studies were screened, quality-assessed using Cochrane and CASP tools, and meta-analyzed with RevMan 5.4. Results: A total of eighteen studies were included, all of which were of acceptable quality. The meta-analysis showed that in most outcome measures, such as health-related physical fitness, body indices, and exercise questionnaire scores, there were no significant differences between the exercise group and the usual care group (P>0.05). When compared to the usual care group, the exercise group had a higher VO₂ at the anaerobic threshold (AT), with a pooled OR of 2.65 (95% CI: 0.71, 4.59). In the assessment of quality of life, the Short Form-36 (SF-36) showed that after exercise, there were significant improvements in role - physical function (OR=9.10, 95% CI: 3.24, 14.97) and social function (OR=7.04, 95% CI: 0.33, 13.75) compared to the levels before exercise. There were no significant differences in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups (OR=1.57, 95% CI: 0.54, 4.57). Conclusion: Rehabilitation strategies incorporating exercise for patients with rectal cancer undergoing chemotherapy enhance VO2 at AT and specific quality-of-life indicators, with safety comparable to usual care. |
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| Keywords: Rectal neoplasms, chemotherapy adjuvant, radiotherapy adjuvant, rehabilitation, meta-analysis. |
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Full-Text [PDF 1401 kb]
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Type of Study: Original Research |
Subject:
Radiation Biology
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