Role of exercise in rehabilitation of cancer survivors

Approximately 70% of all children diagnosed with malignancy become long-term survivors. Anthracycline cardiotoxicity may complicate physical performance and invite a "spectrum of disuse." There is a paucity of information derived from longitudinal, prospective, randomized clinical trials of exercise in cancer survivors, and there are no guidelines concerning the risk of recreational (non-competetive) exercise in adolescent and young adult patients with anthracycline cardiomyopathy. This review will discuss screening procedures that should be performed when assigning exercise regimens to cancer survivors with or without evidence of left ventricular dysfunction. Current recommendations for exercise testing and exercise prescription are also provided. (c) 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.