Effects of exercise in patients treated with stem cell transplantation for a hematologic malignancy

In a paper just published on-line in the journal Cancer Treatment Reviews, we reported a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies looking into  the effectiveness of exercise interventions in patients with hematologic malignancies treated with stem cell transplantation. We included randomized controlled trials comparing exercise with usual care, in which at least 75% of the patients had a hematologic malignancy. based on th eights studies that we were able to review, the results showed that xercise had a statistically significant  effect on cardiorespiratory fitness,  muscle strength, lower fatigue, quality of life, and physical, emotional and cognitive functioning. In conclusion, exercise seems to have beneficial effects in patients treated with stem cell transplantation. The review was led by Saskia Persoon, one of the PhD students contributing to the Alpe D'Huzes Cancer Rehabilitation Program (A-CaRe).