About this Research Topic
Exercise has developed into a significant supportive therapy for cancer over the last few decades. It is endorsed by peak organizations including the American College of Sports Medicine and the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia. However, most evidence focuses on adult cancers. The field of ‘pediatric exercise oncology’ is less established due its smaller population (representing 1% of all cancers), different cancer types, varying pubertal stages, and intensive treatment regimens contributing to difficulties in conducting research. The life-long impact of pediatric cancer patients adopting a healthy lifestyle could lead to improved physical and psychological health. The international pediatric oncology exercise guidelines (iPOEG) were recently published, which was timely for this Research Topic.
As pediatric cancer patients experience side-effects such as fatigue, pain, and long-term sequelae of cancer therapy, there is increasing evidence underlining using exercise to alleviate these problems. Innovative studies are needed to implement exercise as supportive care throughout the cancer continuum. This is critical in pediatric oncology where movement is vital for psychosocial, cognitive, and motor development. Thus, state-of-the-art exercise research evaluating the potential of exercise therapy in pediatric oncology is encouraged for this article collection.
The goals of this Research Topic are to advance the understanding of the role and effect of exercise, physical activity, and fitness on the physical and psychological health of patients and survivors of childhood cancer.
Other specific goals include:
- To understand considerations to change clinical practice in pediatric oncology to include physical activity/exercise recommendations/referrals as part of routine care. This may include (but not be limited to) identifying barriers from childhood cancer survivors and their caregivers, institutions, and governments.
- To present/identify priority research groups or vulnerable populations within pediatric childhood cancer survivors who may benefit from physical activity/exercise.
- To share the knowledge of researchers from different fields offering projects that address the particularities of pediatric oncology and attempt to close the gap between children’s rights of exercise promotion and the existing healthcare gaps in practice.
This Research Topic invites manuscript submissions on the following themes around the role of exercise/physical activity in childhood cancer:
- Original research investigating observational, interventional, and review study designs regarding physical activity or exercise for pediatric cancer patients during treatment.
- Original research for pediatric cancer patients who have completed treatment. This includes research relating to adult survivors of childhood cancer.
- Research relating to physical activity/exercise among pediatric cancer patients/survivors from low- and middle-income countries.
- Research related to implementation science, healthcare professional viewpoints, barriers to implementation, parental viewpoints.
- Studies investigating the clinical, biological, physiological, psychological, social, cognitive, and financial impacts of exercise for pediatric cancer.
As pediatric cancer patients experience side-effects such as fatigue, pain, and long-term sequelae of cancer therapy, there is increasing evidence underlining using exercise to alleviate these problems. Innovative studies are needed to implement exercise as supportive care throughout the cancer continuum. This is critical in pediatric oncology where movement is vital for psychosocial, cognitive, and motor development. Thus, state-of-the-art exercise research evaluating the potential of exercise therapy in pediatric oncology is encouraged for this article collection.
The goals of this Research Topic are to advance the understanding of the role and effect of exercise, physical activity, and fitness on the physical and psychological health of patients and survivors of childhood cancer.
Other specific goals include:
- To understand considerations to change clinical practice in pediatric oncology to include physical activity/exercise recommendations/referrals as part of routine care. This may include (but not be limited to) identifying barriers from childhood cancer survivors and their caregivers, institutions, and governments.
- To present/identify priority research groups or vulnerable populations within pediatric childhood cancer survivors who may benefit from physical activity/exercise.
- To share the knowledge of researchers from different fields offering projects that address the particularities of pediatric oncology and attempt to close the gap between children’s rights of exercise promotion and the existing healthcare gaps in practice.
This Research Topic invites manuscript submissions on the following themes around the role of exercise/physical activity in childhood cancer:
- Original research investigating observational, interventional, and review study designs regarding physical activity or exercise for pediatric cancer patients during treatment.
- Original research for pediatric cancer patients who have completed treatment. This includes research relating to adult survivors of childhood cancer.
- Research relating to physical activity/exercise among pediatric cancer patients/survivors from low- and middle-income countries.
- Research related to implementation science, healthcare professional viewpoints, barriers to implementation, parental viewpoints.
- Studies investigating the clinical, biological, physiological, psychological, social, cognitive, and financial impacts of exercise for pediatric cancer.
Keywords: exercise, childhood, cancer, supportive therapy, pediatric exercise oncology, pediatric oncology, physical activity
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
