Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37213049›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2023

The Effect of Exercise on Pain in People with Cancer: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Melanie Louise Plinsinga, Ben Singh, Grace Laura Rose, Briana Clifford, Tom George Bailey, Rosalind Renee Spence, Jemma Turner, Michel Willem Coppieters, Alexandra Leigh McCarthy, Sandra Christine Hayes

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
27citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
8.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% 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

27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 25 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Pooled it
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. [Effects ofNan fang yi ke da xue xue bao = Journal of Southern Medical University
    Trial
  11. Practical recommendations for exercise and nutrition in patients with lung cancer.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2026
    Review
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Factors associated with pain among rural cancer survivors: Findings from an Australian longitudinal study.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Research trends on exercise and cancer pain relationships: a bibliometric analysis over the past three decades.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2025
    Review
  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

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Melanie Louise PlinsingaSchool of Health Sciences and Social Work, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane and Gold Coast, Australia. m.plinsinga@griffith.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0001-8902-7434
Ben SinghAllied Health and Human Performance, Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5000-1154
Grace Laura RoseSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, and Mater Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0420-0264
Briana CliffordSchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, and Mater Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4392-795X
Tom George BaileySchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, and Mater Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Rosalind Renee SpenceSchool of Health Sciences and Social Work, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane and Gold Coast, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-5446-5562
Jemma TurnerSchool of Health Sciences and Social Work, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane and Gold Coast, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7942-250X
Michel Willem CoppietersSchool of Health Sciences and Social Work, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane and Gold Coast, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3958-4408
Alexandra Leigh McCarthySchool of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, The University of Queensland, and Mater Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8979-2926
Sandra Christine HayesSchool of Health Sciences and Social Work, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane and Gold Coast, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7005-5184
Griffith University · AUThe University of Queensland · AUUniversity of South Australia · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCancer-related pain is common and undertreated. Exercise is known to have a pain-relieving effect in non-cancer pain.

objectivesThis systematic review aimed to evaluate (1) the effect of exercise on cancer-related pain in all cancers, and (2) whether the effect of exercise differed according to exercise mode, degree of supervision, intervention duration and timing (during or after cancer treatment), pain types, measurement tool and cancer type.

methodsElectronic searches were undertaken in six databases to identify exercise studies evaluating pain in people with cancer, published prior to 11 January 2023. All stages of screening and data extraction were conducted independently by two authors. The Cochrane risk of bias tool for randomised trials (RoB 2) was used and overall strength of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. Meta-analyses were performed overall and by study design, exercise intervention and pain characteristics.

resultsIn total, 71 studies reported in 74 papers were eligible for inclusion. The overall meta-analysis included 5877 participants and showed reductions in pain favouring exercise (standardised mean difference - 0.45; 95% confidence interval - 0.62, - 0.28). For most (> 82%) of the subgroup analyses, the direction of effect favoured exercise compared with usual care, with effect sizes ranging from small to large (median effect size - 0.35; range - 0.03 to - 1.17). The overall strength of evidence for the effect of exercise on cancer-related pain was very low.

conclusionThe findings provide support that exercise participation does not worsen cancer-related pain and that it may be beneficial. Better pain categorisation and inclusion of more diverse cancer populations in future research would improve understanding of the extent of benefit and to whom. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021266826.

Indexed as

Cancer PainNeoplasmsExerciseExercise TherapyHumansPain

Identifiers

PMID37213049
PMCPMC10432370
OpenAlexW4377221185

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.