Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41779285›Full record

ArticleSports medicine - open2026

Innovative Exercise in Routine Cancer Care: Insights from Eight Years of Integrated Oncological Exercise Therapy (OTT).

Timo Sonntag, Ariana Safi, Vera Coutellier, Anna Lorenz, Philipp Zimmer, Eva M Zopf, Fiona Streckmann, Lars Gerland, Petra Wirtz-Derksen, Anja Großek and 10 more

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Article in Sports medicine - open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Timo SonntagFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. timo.niels@uk-koeln.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7309-0161
Ariana SafiFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Vera CoutellierFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Anna LorenzFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Philipp ZimmerDivision of Performance and Health, Institute for Sport and Sport Science, Technical University Dortmund, Dortmund, Germany.
Eva M ZopfMary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Fiona StreckmannDepartment of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Lars GerlandFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Petra Wirtz-DerksenFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Anja GroßekFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Anne KollikowskiComprehensive Cancer Center Mainfranken, University Hospital of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Constanze HandmannFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Stefanie SiebertFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Paul J BröckelmannFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Christian P PallaschFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Wilhelm BlochDepartment of Molecular and Cellular Sports Medicine, Institute of Cardiovascular Research and Sports Medicine, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Thomas ElterFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Michael HallekFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Damir ZubacFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Freerk T BaumannFaculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, Department I of Internal Medicine, Center for Integrated Oncology Aachen Bonn Cologne Duesseldorf, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe beneficial effects of exercise in cancer patients are increasingly understood, whereas the inclusion of structured oncological exercise as a standard of care remains a challenge. Herein, we evaluate the innovative, supervised Oncological Exercise Therapy (OTT) integrated into the standard of clinical care and report patient characteristics, exercise participation and attendance, and effects on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and physical performance.

methodsAn observational study was conducted to analyze patient and exercise cohort data collected between 2012 and 2020 on the OTT. Cancer patients were encouraged to attend the personalized OTT intervention for a minimum of three months. Demographic, medical and treatment-related patient data were documented at enrollment. Exercise attendance was measured up to one year after enrollment, and exercise efficacy was evaluated between 6 and 24 weeks of exercise and included strength and endurance assessments and PROs on quality of life, fatigue, and psychosocial distress.

resultsMost of the n = 1660 enrolled patients (median age: 54 years [18-86]) were female (70%), diagnosed with breast cancer (40%), without metastasis (80%) and were receiving anticancer treatment (65%). One-third (32%) exercised for an average of 19 ± 10 sessions in a 19-week (± 13 weeks) period. Only 1% of patients reached the recommended average of ≥ 2 weekly sessions on the OTT. Older age and shorter travel distance were associated with increased exercise attendance. Exercise improved strength and endurance performance and PROs, indicating more pronounced effects in patients with greater exercise attendance.

conclusionsInnovative exercise programs can be established as standard of cancer care in hospital settings. These real-world data suggest a beneficial effect of exercise in cancer patients on PROs and physical outcomes, with more pronounced effects in patients with greater exercise attendance. Therefore, strategies to increase exercise attendance appear crucial to maximize benefits derived from real-world exercise interventions in cancer patients.

Indexed as

Cancer patientsClinical careExercise oncologyExercise programNeoplasmsPhysical activity

Identifiers

PMID41779285
PMCPMC12961029

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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.