A new American College of Sports Medicine consensus statement says exercise should be part of cancer care for kids. An evidentiary review found that combined strength and aerobic training safely improves muscle strength and physical function in patients aged 19 and under — both during and after treatment. Researchers screened over 12,000 studies to reach this conclusion.
A new American College of Sports Medicine expert consensus statement is making the case that exercise — specifically a combination of resistance and aerobic training — should be a standard part of cancer treatment and survivorship planning for children and adolescents. The review, which screened more than 12,000 studies, found moderate evidence that concurrent strength and aerobic training safely improves muscle strength and physical function in patients aged 19 and younger, both during and after treatment. Aerobic exercise also showed benefits for cardiorespiratory fitness post-treatment.
Despite long-held fears that intense exercise could suppress immune function in young cancer patients, researchers concluded that exercise is "doable and safe" when individualized and supervised. Lead researcher Dr. Alejandro Lucia noted that weight training — once considered inappropriate for children — has now been shown to be both effective and well-tolerated in this population.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: With over 380,000 children diagnosed with cancer globally each year and 5-year survival rates now reaching 87%, quality of life during and after treatment is increasingly critical. Integrating exercise into pediatric cancer care could meaningfully reduce treatment-related physical decline.
