Descriptive characteristics of included studies.

Background
Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is characterized by an unusual and persistent sensation of tiredness that can occur during or after treatment, potentially impacting both physical and mental capability, and which does not ameliorate with rest. Aerobic exercise (AE) has been identified as a potent modality to mitigate the severity of CRF in such patients.
Objective
This study aims to investigate the efficacy of AE in alleviating CRF among patients.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search was implemented on PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, Cochrane, and Embase until June 2024. Studies were selected based on the following PICOS criteria: Participants (P): cancer patients undergoing treatment or in recovery; Intervention (I): aerobic exercise, including activities such as walking, running, yoga, or tai chi; AE interventions conducted during both treatment and recovery were included. Comparison (C): usual care, no-treatment/wait-list, or attention/activity placebo controls; Outcome (O): cancer-related fatigue (CRF) measured by validated scales; Study design (S): randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3.
Results
The results indicate that AE exerts a significant impact on CRF, but the heterogeneity is high (SMD = −0.76, 95% CI: −1.30 to −0.22, P < 0.05, I² = 94%). Subgroup analysis revealed that AE interventions lasting at least 12 weeks (SMD = −1.12, 95% CI = −2.02 ~ −0.22, P < 0.05, I² = 96%), 3 times or less per week (SMD = −1.00, 95% CI = −1.83 ~ −0.16, P < 0.05, I2 = 96%), with each session exceeding 60 minutes (SMD = −1.48, 95% CI = −2.32 ~ −0.64, P < 0.01, I2 = 96%), compared to the control group, significantly improve CRF in patients.
Conclusion
The research findings confirm the effectiveness of AE in alleviating CRF. Subgroup analysis further elucidated that AE interventions lasting at least 12 weeks, 3 times or less per week, with 60 minutes or more per session, significantly alleviated CRF among patients. However, given the limited number of included studies, caution is warranted in interpreting these subgroup analysis outcomes. The protocol for this review was duly registered on PROSPERO under the registration number CRD42024559098.

背景
癌因性疲乏（Cancer-related fatigue, CRF）以异常且持续的疲乏感为特征，可在癌症治疗期间或治疗后出现，可能同时影响躯体与精神功能，且休息后无法得到缓解。有氧运动（Aerobic exercise, AE）已被证实为缓解此类患者癌因性疲乏严重程度的有效干预手段。
目的
本研究旨在探讨有氧运动对癌因性疲乏患者的缓解效果。
方法
本研究于2024年6月前在PubMed、Web of Science、EBSCO、科克伦（Cochrane）及Embase数据库中开展全面文献检索。研究依据以下PICOS标准进行筛选：研究对象（P）：接受治疗或处于康复阶段的癌症患者；干预措施（I）：有氧运动，包括步行、跑步、瑜伽或太极等活动，纳入治疗期间及康复阶段实施的有氧运动干预；对照方式（C）：常规护理、未治疗/等待队列，或注意力/活动安慰剂对照；结局指标（O）：经验证量表评估的癌因性疲乏（CRF）；研究设计（S）：随机对照试验（Randomized Controlled Trials, RCTs）。本研究采用Review Manager 5.3软件开展荟萃分析。
结果
结果显示，有氧运动对癌因性疲乏具有显著改善作用，但研究间异质性较高（标准化均数差（Standardized Mean Difference, SMD）= -0.76，95%置信区间（Confidence Interval, CI）：-1.30 ~ -0.22，P < 0.05，I²=94%）。亚组分析显示，与对照组相比，以下特征的有氧运动干预可显著改善患者的癌因性疲乏：干预时长至少12周（SMD = -1.12，95% CI：-2.02 ~ -0.22，P < 0.05，I²=96%）、每周干预频次≤3次（SMD = -1.00，95% CI：-1.83 ~ -0.16，P < 0.05，I²=96%）、单次干预时长超过60分钟（SMD = -1.48，95% CI：-2.32 ~ -0.64，P < 0.01，I²=96%）。
结论
本研究结果证实，有氧运动可有效缓解癌因性疲乏。亚组分析进一步明确，干预时长至少12周、每周频次≤3次且单次时长≥60分钟的有氧运动干预，可显著改善患者的癌因性疲乏。但鉴于纳入研究数量有限，解读该亚组分析结果时需谨慎。本综述的研究方案已在PROSPERO平台注册，注册号为CRD42024559098。