The Role of Physical Exercise During Chemotherapy in Women with Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review

Authors

  • Małgorzata Niewęgłowska Masovian Voivodeship Hospital of St. John Paul II in Siedlce, Ltd. https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5148-6801
  • Oliwia Krazińska Medical University of Lodz: Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship, PL https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1210-1468
  • Mateusz Bernad National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration Wołoska 137, 02-507 Warszawa, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3793-1789
  • Katarzyna Widomska National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration Wołoska 137, 02-507 Warszawa, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0004-6955-6194
  • Aleksandra Bender Southern Hospital of Warsaw ul. Rotmistrza Witolda Pileckiego 99, 02-781 Warszawa https://orcid.org/0009-0003-0715-0431
  • Paulina Walczak Masovian Voivodeship Hospital of St. John Paul II in Siedlce, Ltd ul. Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego 26, 08-110 Siedlce https://orcid.org/0009-0002-2277-7366
  • Bartłomiej Szymulewicz Masovian Voivodeship Hospital of St. John Paul II in Siedlce, Ltd. Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego 26, 08-110 Siedlce https://orcid.org/0009-0003-7462-9063
  • Kacper Dąbrowski Independent Public Complex of Healthcare in Kozienice Al. Generała Władysława Sikorskiego 10, 26-900 Kozienice https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0760-3975
  • Jakub Łukaszewicz Masovian Voivodeship Hospital of St. John Paul II in Siedlce, Ltd. Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego 26, 08-110 Siedlce https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2629-3509
  • Magdalena Gałach Independent Public Health Care Institution in Siedlce Kilińskiego 29, 08-110 Siedlce https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8717-8182

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12775/QS.2026.54.70396

Keywords

physical activity, breast cancer, chemotherapy, quality of life, cognitive function, fatigue, exercice oncology

Abstract

Background. Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in women worldwide. Advances in oncologic therapy have markedly improved survival, yet chemotherapy and other treatments produce adverse effects such as fatigue, cancer‑related cognitive impairment, and reduced quality of life. Aim. To synthesize recent evidence on the impact of structured exercise interventions on physical fitness, cognitive function, and health‑related quality of life (HRQOL) in women undergoing or recovering from breast‑cancer treatment.                                          Methods. A structured literature search of PubMed, PEDro, and Scopus identified English‑language studies published in the past ten years that evaluated exercise programs in adult women receiving or having completed chemotherapy. Trials were screened for outcomes related to cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, fatigue, cognition and HRQOL as well as biological mechanisms and limitations. Results. The majority of randomized controlled trials reported that supervised aerobic, resistance, or combined exercise programs significantly attenuated fatigue and enhanced HRQOL (Ficarra et al., 2022). Meta‑analyses confirm a small but reliable improvement in cognitive function across diverse exercise modalities (Hung et al., 2025). Exercise also produced clinically meaningful gains in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength, and shoulder range of motion, while being safe with few serious adverse events. Conclusions. Structured, supervised exercise initiated early during chemotherapy is safe and yields consistent benefits in physical fitness, cognition, and HRQOL for women with breast cancer. Standardized protocols and larger, high‑quality RCTs are needed to refine dosage guidelines and elucidate underlying molecular mechanisms.

Author Biographies

Aleksandra Bender, Southern Hospital of Warsaw ul. Rotmistrza Witolda Pileckiego 99, 02-781 Warszawa

 

 

 

Paulina Walczak, Masovian Voivodeship Hospital of St. John Paul II in Siedlce, Ltd ul. Księcia Józefa Poniatowskiego 26, 08-110 Siedlce

 

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Quality in Sport

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Published

2026-04-25

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1.
NIEWĘGŁOWSKA, Małgorzata, KRAZIŃSKA , Oliwia, BERNAD, Mateusz, WIDOMSKA, Katarzyna, BENDER, Aleksandra, WALCZAK, Paulina, SZYMULEWICZ, Bartłomiej, DĄBROWSKI, Kacper, ŁUKASZEWICZ , Jakub and GAŁACH, Magdalena. The Role of Physical Exercise During Chemotherapy in Women with Breast Cancer: A Narrative Review. Quality in Sport. Online. 25 April 2026. Vol. 54, p. 70396. [Accessed 2 May 2026]. DOI 10.12775/QS.2026.54.70396.

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Vol. 54 (2026)

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Medical Sciences

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Copyright (c) 2026 Małgorzata Niewęgłowska, Oliwia Krazińska , Mateusz Bernad, Katarzyna Widomska, Aleksandra Bender, Paulina Walczak, Bartłomiej Szymulewicz, Kacper Dąbrowski, Jakub Łukaszewicz , Magdalena Gałach

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