Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise Interventions for Children and Adolescents With Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This article systematically reviews and meta-analyzes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of combined aerobic and resistance exercise (CE) interventions on children and adolescents (ages 4–19) diagnosed with cancer. Synthesizing data from nine RCTs involving 610 participants, the review found that CE interventions significantly reduce cancer-related fatigue and improve cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and physical activity (PA) levels in this population, with no major adverse events reported. However, CE interventions did not show a statistically significant effect on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The authors note limitations including heterogeneity in exercise protocols, small sample sizes, and variability in outcome measurements, and recommend further large-scale, high-quality studies to clarify long-term effects and optimize exercise prescriptions for pediatric oncology patients.