Physical therapy interventions, other than general physical exercise interventions, in children and adolescents before, during and following treatment for cancer.

BACKGROUND

Children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer are at high risk of experiencing severe side effects from cancer treatment, many of which are amenable to physical therapy. These side effects can negatively impact a child's quality of life and ability to participate in daily activities (e.g. play and attendance at school). Researchers have evaluated physical therapy interventions in children with cancer and childhood cancer survivors. However, factors such as small sample sizes, varying intervention protocols and differences in cancer types among trials make it difficult to draw conclusions about efficacy.

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of physical therapy interventions - with a specific focus on symptom relief and compensation of therapy-related side effects - on the quality of life of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer. Participants must be between the ages of 0 and 19 years at the time of the physical therapy intervention study. The intervention may occur prior to, during or following cancer treatment. The intervention must be compared to a control group of children receiving standard care, no physical therapy intervention or a comparison intervention. We have excluded general physical exercise studies where the primary aim was to improve physical fitness through aerobic, anaerobic, resistance exercise or combined physical exercise training regimens (i.e. combined aerobic and resistance exercise regimens). We have also intended to record the occurrence of any adverse effects resulting from physical therapy interventions. The secondary aims were to evaluate the efficacy of physical therapy on impairments of pain, peripheral neuropathy, balance, gait, functional abilities and mobility, motor function and performance, range of motion, strength and fatigue.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PEDro, ongoing trial registries, conference proceedings and the reference lists of relevant studies and reviews in March 2020. We also contacted oncology rehabilitation researchers working in paediatrics in March 2020 to identify additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

The review included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), cross-over trials, and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) that compared the effects of physical therapy interventions to a control group, and involved children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 0 and 19 years at the time of the intervention. We excluded studies examining general physical exercise interventions where the primary aim was to improve physical fitness through aerobic exercise, resistance exercise or combined physical exercise training regimens (i.e. combined aerobic and resistance exercise regimens).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.

MAIN RESULTS

We found no RCTs, cross-over trials or CCTs comparing the effects of physical therapy interventions with a focus on symptom relief and compensation of therapy-related side effects for children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 19 years.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that the evidence to date is inadequate to inform clinical practice. Recommendations for future research include the need for large-scale, high-quality designs that examine: (1) paediatric populations with same cancer types; (2) similar intervention protocols; (3) long-term outcomes; (4) physical therapy interventions (e.g. electrophysical modalities and sensory interventions); and (5) outcomes commonly impaired in children with cancer (e.g. peripheral neuropathy and gait deficits).