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Background. Evidence for the safety and benefits of exercise training as a therapeutic and rehabilitative intervention for cancer survivors is accumulating. However, whereas the evidence for the efficacy of exercise training has been established in several meta-analyses, synthesis of qualitative research is lacking. In order to extend healthcare professionals' understanding of the meaningfulness of exercise in cancer survivorship care, this paper aims to identify, appraise and synthesize qualitative studies on cancer survivors' experience of participation in exercise-based rehabilitation. Material and methods. Five electronic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Cinahl and Scopus) were searched systematically for articles published up to May 2014 using keywords and MeSH terms. To be included, studies had to contain primary data pertaining to patient experiences from participation in supervised, structured moderate to vigorous-intensity exercise. Results. In total 2447 abstracts were screened and 37 papers were read in full. Of these, 19 studies (n = 390) were selected for inclusion and critically appraised. Synthesis of data extracted from eight studies including in total 174 patients (77% women, age 28-76 years) exclusively reporting experiences of participation in structured, supervised exercise training resulted in nine themes condensed into three categories: 1) emergence of continuity; 2) preservation of health; and 3) reclaiming the body reflecting the benefits of exercise-based rehabilitation according to cancer survivors. Accordingly, the potential of rebuilding structure in everyday life, creating a normal context and enabling the individual to re-establish confidentiality and trust in their own body and physical potential constitute substantial qualities fundamental to the understanding of the meaningfulness of exercise-based rehabilitation from the perspective of patients. Conclusions. In addition to the accumulating evidence for the efficacy of exercise training in cancer rehabilitation, it is incumbent upon clinicians and policy-makers to acknowledge and promote the meaningfulness of exercise for the individual, and to use this knowledge to provide new solutions to current problems related to recruitment of underserved populations, long-term adherence and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The increasing incidence of cancer combined with prolonged survival times seen throughout the western world increases the need for rehabilitation. Diagnosis and treatment for cancer may have substantial effects on the patients' physical, psychological, social and existential well-being. The aim of this paper is to describe the current situation in cancer rehabilitation in the Nordic countries, the Netherlands and Germany. Material and methods. Description of the current situation in cancer rehabilitation in the Nordic countries and literature review. Results. Rehabilitation as defined by multiple organizations covers a multidimensional view on chronic disease and its effect on the patient's life. The rehabilitation systems in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands differ depending on the differing social security and health-care systems, but rehabilitation provided is largely based on a similar, multidimensional and multidisciplinary understanding of cancer rehabilitation. Research on rehabilitation efforts in European countries indicates that there is substantial evidence with regard to single interventions which can be part of cancer rehabilitation. Discussion. In order to assure patients and families continuing quality of life, rehabilitation should be an integral and continuous part of all cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rehabilitation of cancer patients include a broad range of activities aimed at information, counselling, advices on possible change of lifestyle and behaviour, psychological support, social welfare questions, ways of coping with side-effects of the anti-carcinogenic treatment given and additional treatment of numerous clinical problems. The change in the age distribution combined with the growing number of cancer survivors and the scarce economic resources allocated to 'after-treatment' clinical follow-up of cancer patients, even in the Scandinavian countries characterised by their public tax financed health system, emphasize the need for screening of rehabilitation needs among cancer patients. There is a need to identify patients in need for psychological and social intervention. However, this intervention among cancer patients in need has to be based on results achieved in clinical studies. This paper gives a brief introduction to the field of rehabilitation research and indicates a number of areas in which research would be of benefit for the clinical organisation of rehabilitation activities. These areas include the implication of social inequality, a characterisation of cancer patients who rehabilitate successfully, the gender perspective in rehabilitation, the age perspective, how to establish cancer disease specific rehabilitation modules, family and community aspects of rehabilitation, the dilemma between individual responsibility for lifestyle changes and feelings of guilt and the need for models which can determine the best timing of the intervention among cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]