{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,11,1]],"date-time":"2026-11-01T22:44:46Z","timestamp":1793573086068,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,28]],"date-time":"2025-09-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1759017600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.mdpi.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Clinics and Practice"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Depression affects around 280 million people globally and is one of the main causes of disability. Among people with cancer, depression and anxiety affect 20\u201325%, significantly reducing quality of life, adherence to treatments, and survival. Despite the availability of pharmacological and psychological treatments, their application can be limited by side effects, accessibility, and costs\u2014especially in low- and middle-income countries. Physical exercise is emerging as a valuable complementary strategy, improving both physical and mental well-being. Nevertheless, structured exercise programs are still rarely implemented in oncology. This review aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating physical activity into mental health support for people with cancer. Methods: This review includes six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating physical exercise interventions for depression and anxiety in people with cancer aged over 18 years. Included studies compared exercise interventions to control or standard care and reported outcomes related to psychological well-being and adverse effects. Exclusion criteria included non-original studies, non-English articles, and works not focused on exercise. The search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library using MeSH terms and Boolean operators. The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025637522). Results: Exercise interventions\u2014such as aerobic, resistance, and mind\u2013body practices\u2014proved effective and feasible across cancer types. Benefits were seen in both psychological and physical outcomes. However, variations in protocols and outcome measures, as well as a lack of long-term data, limit generalizability. Conclusions: Personalized exercise programs can significantly reduce depression and anxiety in people with cancer. Standardized core methods, long-term research, and systemic support are needed to integrate exercise into routine oncology care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/clinpract15100180","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,29]],"date-time":"2025-09-29T10:49:34Z","timestamp":1759142974000},"page":"180","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["The Effects of Physical Exercise on Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9953-5635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giacomo","family":"Far\u00ec","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine (Di.Me.S), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-5912-9494","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annatonia","family":"Fai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), Aldo Moro University, 70121 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesco","family":"Quarta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technologies (Di.S.Te.B.A.), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Morena","family":"Pitruzzella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rehabilitation Unit, Don Orione Hospital, 00183 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5345-9902","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristiano","family":"Sconza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5228-3733","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Matteo Luigi Giuseppe","family":"Leoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Translational Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3822-2923","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giustino","family":"Varrassi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pain Medicine, Paolo Procacci Foundation, 00193 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marco","family":"Filipponi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Vito Fazzi Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giuseppe","family":"Rollo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Vito Fazzi Hospital, 73100 Lecce, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alessio","family":"Baricich","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, 20089 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, 20072 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0204-9831","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Andrea","family":"Bernetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Experimental Medicine (Di.Me.S), University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy"},{"name":"Infradepartmental University Program of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, \u201cV.Fazzi\u201d Hospital, ASL Lecce, 73100 Lecce, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"GBD 2019 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators (2020). 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