Exercise interventions significantly reduced depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer across eight randomized controlled trials

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Frontiers in Medicine Published June 1, 2026 Medically reviewed June 1, 2026 DOI ↗ By Dr. Ji-eun Park, MD · Brain, Mind & Pain

Key Takeaway

Consider exercise as a promising adjunctive strategy to reduce depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer.

This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials examined the impact of exercise interventions on depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer. Eight randomized controlled trials were included in the analysis to assess this specific population. The primary outcome measured depressive symptoms using validated instruments to determine the efficacy of the intervention.

The analysis found that exercise significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared with control conditions. The pooled effect size was a standardized mean difference of -0.45 with a p-value of 0.02. No absolute numbers were reported for the outcomes in this synthesis.

The authors noted that substantial heterogeneity was observed across the included studies. Subgroup differences were not statistically significant. The authors state that further large-scale, high-quality randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings before widespread adoption.

Exercise interventions may reduce depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer and represent a promising adjunctive strategy for psychological care in these populations. Safety data such as adverse events or discontinuations were not reported in this review.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJun 2026

View Original Abstract ↓

BackgroundDepressive symptoms are common among patients with cancer and can substantially impair quality of life, treatment adherence and overall well-being. Although exercise has been increasingly recognised as a promising non-pharmacological strategy for alleviating depression in oncology settings, existing evidence has focused predominantly on breast cancer, with limited attention to lung and digestive cancers. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise interventions on depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and Scopus from database inception to March 2026. Randomized controlled trials investigating the effects of exercise interventions on depressive symptoms in adults with lung or digestive cancer were included. The primary outcome was depressive symptoms measured using validated instruments. Subgroup analyses were performed according to intervention format, exercise type and training frequency. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool version 1.ResultsEight randomized controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. Baseline analysis showed no significant difference in depressive symptoms between the exercise and control groups before intervention. Post-intervention meta-analysis demonstrated that exercise significantly reduced depressive symptoms compared with control conditions (SMD = -0.45, P = 0.02), Although substantial heterogeneity was observed. Individually delivered programmes, walking-based exercise and moderate-frequency training (3–5 times per week) showed numerically larger effect estimates.ConclusionsExercise interventions may reduce depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer and represent a promising adjunctive strategy for psychological care in these populations. Although subgroup differences were not statistically significant, certain intervention characteristics may be associated with greater benefit. Further large-scale, high-quality randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings and to establish the optimal exercise prescription for reducing depressive symptoms in adults with lung and digestive cancer.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD420261336578.