Physical training prior to cancer surgery on the gastrointestinal tract A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

Gastrointestinal (GI) oncology surgery is associated with high complication rates and long hospital stays. Existing evidence from other diseases shows that exercising prior to surgery reduces the risk of complications as well as the duration of hospitalization. This prompts the question of whether these results can be extrapolated to GI oncology procedures. Therefore, a systematic literature search was conducted. Resulting studies were analyzed qualitatively and via a meta-analytical approach. A total of 10 trials were included in the final analysis. Patients in the intervention groups (IG) displayed a higher probability of tolerating surgery without complications. In addition, the IG showed fewer cases of exceptionally long hospital stays. These findings support the demand to include exercise in the medical treatment of patients undergoing GI oncology surgery.