Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29796931›Full record

SynthesisJournal of cancer survivorship : research and practice2018

Physical decline and its implications in the management of oesophageal and gastric cancer: a systematic review.

Linda O'Neill, Jonathan Moran, Emer M Guinan, John V Reynolds, Juliette Hussey

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of cancer survivorship : research and practice, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
34citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
6.9field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

34 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 65 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Priorities for prehabilitation for patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer: a nominal group consensus study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Measurement and optimization of perioperative risk among patients undergoing surgery for esophageal cancer.Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus · 2024
    Article
  19. Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Linda O'NeillDiscipline of Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. oneilll8@tcd.ie.ORCID 0000-0002-0109-9650
Jonathan MoranDiscipline of Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Emer M GuinanSchool of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
John V ReynoldsTrinity Translational Medicine Institute, Department of Surgery, Trinity College Dublin and St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Juliette HusseyDiscipline of Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
Trinity College Dublin · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe management of oesophageal and gastric cancer can cause significant physical decline, impacting on completion rates and outcomes. This systematic review aimed to (i) determine the impact of chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy and surgery on physical function; (ii) identify associations between physical function and post-operative outcomes; and (iii) examine the effects of rehabilitation on physical function.

methodsWe included randomised controlled trials (RCT), non-RCTs of interventions and cohort studies that measured physical function by objective means in patients with oesophageal or gastric cancer. EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, PEDro and the WHO Trial Registry were searched up to June 2016. Risk of bias assessment was performed using a suite of validated tools.

resultsTwenty-five studies involving 1897 participants were included. A meta-analysis was not indicated due to the heterogeneity of the literature. Significant reductions in physical function occur in patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment and in the first 3 months post-resection. Lower pre-operative exercise capacity is associated with an increased risk of post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs). Evidence to support exercise prehabilitation and rehabilitation in these treatment pathways is currently lacking.

conclusionsChemotherapy, chemoradiation and surgery lead to reduced physical function in patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer. High quality evidence is lacking to prove the benefit of interventions that improve physical function through the treatment pathway and in recovery, and well-designed studies are required. This review was limited due to the heterogeneity of the literature, high risk of bias in some articles and the lack of high quality research encompassing sufficient time points in the patient journey. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Curative treatment for oesophago-gastric cancer can negatively impact on physical function. Rehabilitation programmes have considerable potential to enhance physical function across the oesophago-gastric cancer journey.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingAdultAgedCancer SurvivorsChemoradiotherapyEsophageal NeoplasmsExerciseExercise TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedObservational Studies as TopicPalliative CarePhysical FitnessQuality of LifeCurative treatmentOesophago-gastric cancerPhysical functionRehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID29796931
OpenAlexW2803438222

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.