ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2021
What are the impact and the optimal design of a physical prehabilitation program in patients with esophagogastric cancer awaiting surgery? A systematic review.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 14 citations in OpenAlex.
- Health-related quality of life in esophageal cancer: a state-of-the-art review of patient-reported outcomes and an evidence and gap map.Diseases of the esophagus : official journal of the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus · 2025Pooled it
- Physical Prehabilitation for Older Patients with Cancer before Complex Medical-Surgical Interventions: An Umbrella Review.Aging and disease · 2024Pooled it
- Perioperative respiratory physiotherapy in patients with thoracic tumors: Summary of best evidence and recommendations.Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing · 2025Review
- Optimizing Perioperative Care in Esophageal Surgery: The EUropean PErioperative MEdical Networking (EUPEMEN) Collaborative for Esophagectomy.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- The inequalities and challenges of prehabilitation before cancer surgery: a narrative review.Anaesthesia · 2025Review
- ASO Author Reflections: Perspectives on Prehabilitation in Surgical Oncology: Evidence and Future Directions.Annals of surgical oncology · 2025Article
- The Physical Activity and Cancer Control (PACC) framework: update on the evidence, guidelines, and future research priorities.British journal of cancer · 2024Review
- 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 · 2024Article
- A toolbox for a structured risk-based prehabilitation program in major surgical oncology.Frontiers in surgery · 2023Review
- Comparison of Shear Wave Elastography and Dynamometer Test in Muscle Tissue Characterization for Potential Medical and Sport Application.Pathology oncology research : POR · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSubstantial postoperative complications occur after tumor resection for esophagogastric cancers. Physical prehabilitation programs aim to prepare patients for surgery by improving their functional status with the aim of reducing postoperative complications. This systematic review aims to summarize the effects of physical prehabilitation programs on exercise capacity, muscle strength, respiratory muscle function, postoperative outcomes, and health-related quality of life and to determine the optimal design of such a program to improve these outcomes in esophagogastric cancer patients undergoing tumor resection.
methodsA systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PEDro databases to identify studies evaluating the effects of physical prehabilitation program on exercise capacity, muscle strength, respiratory muscle function, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, mortality, and health-related quality of life in patients with esophagogastric cancer awaiting surgery. Data from all studies meeting the inclusion criteria were extracted. The quality of each selected study was determined using the Downs and Black checklist.
resultsSeven studies with 645 participants were included. The preoperative exercise program consisted of respiratory training alone in three studies, a combination of aerobic and resistance training in two studies, and a combination of respiratory, aerobic, and resistance training in two studies. Training frequency ranged from three times a day to twice a week and each session lasted between 20 and 75 min. Four studies were of fair quality and three of good quality. Some studies reported improvements in maximal inspiratory pressure, inspiratory muscle endurance, postoperative (pulmonary) complications, and length of hospital stay in the preoperative exercise group compared to the control group.
conclusionThis systematic review reports the current evidence for physical prehabilitation programs in patients with esophagogastric cancer awaiting surgery. However, due to the limited number of randomized controlled trials, the significant heterogeneity of exercise programs, and the questionable quality of the studies, higher quality randomized controlled trials are needed.
trial registrationPROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42020176353 .
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Registered trials
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.