This meta-analysis combined data from eight randomized controlled trials to look at how exercise affects mental health in adults with lung or digestive cancer. The researchers compared people who received exercise interventions to those in control conditions. They found that exercise significantly reduced depressive symptoms, with a standardized mean difference of -0.45. This reduction was statistically significant with a p-value of 0.02.
No adverse events, serious adverse events, discontinuations, or tolerability issues were reported in the included studies. However, the analysis noted substantial heterogeneity among the studies. Subgroup differences were not statistically significant, meaning specific types of exercise or cancer did not show clear separate benefits in this data.
Further large-scale, high-quality randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings. While this evidence is promising, it is not yet definitive. Exercise interventions may represent a useful adjunctive strategy for psychological care in these populations, but more research is required before this can be considered a standard recommendation.
