Pancreatic cancer is one of the hardest cancers to treat, with only about 1 in 10 patients surviving five years after diagnosis. Researchers looked at 17 different studies to see if exercise could help patients during different stages of treatment. They found that exercise appeared safe and helped patients build muscle, feel stronger, and improve their quality of life—especially during recovery and end-of-life care. While the results are promising, scientists say more research is needed to fully understand how much exercise really helps pancreatic cancer patients at each stage of their treatment journey.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether exercise programs are safe and helpful for people with pancreatic cancer during different phases of treatment—before surgery, during recovery, and in end-of-life care.
  • Who participated: The review analyzed 17 studies (11 randomized controlled trials and 6 other types of studies) that tested exercise programs in pancreatic cancer patients. The exact total number of patients wasn’t specified, but the researchers screened over 5,500 research papers to find these 17 studies.
  • Key finding: Exercise appeared safe for pancreatic cancer patients and helped them gain muscle mass, get stronger, improve blood sugar control, and feel better overall—especially during recovery and palliative (comfort-focused) care phases. However, exercise didn’t significantly improve heart and lung fitness in the pre-surgery phase.
  • What it means for you: If you or a loved one has pancreatic cancer, talking to your doctor about exercise might be worth considering. Exercise may help you feel stronger and improve your quality of life, but it’s not a replacement for standard cancer treatment. Results take time—improvements were seen after about 3 months of regular activity.

The Research Details

This was a systematic review, which means researchers searched three major medical databases (PubMed, Cochrane, and Scopus) for all published studies about exercise and pancreatic cancer. They looked for studies where patients either did exercise programs or were compared to groups that didn’t exercise. The researchers carefully evaluated the quality of each study using special tools to check for bias and reliability.

The 17 studies they found were divided into three groups based on when exercise was done: before surgery (5 studies), during recovery after treatment (8 studies), and during palliative care when the focus is on comfort rather than cure (3 studies). This allowed the researchers to see if exercise worked differently depending on the treatment stage.

The researchers combined the results from all these studies to see what patterns emerged. They looked at several outcomes: whether exercise was safe, whether it improved fitness and muscle, how it affected body composition, what patients reported about their quality of life, and whether it affected actual health outcomes.

A systematic review is one of the strongest types of research because it combines evidence from many studies instead of relying on just one. This approach helps researchers see the bigger picture and understand what generally works, rather than getting confused by one study that might have unusual results. For pancreatic cancer patients, this matters because the disease is so serious that doctors need reliable evidence before recommending exercise programs.

The researchers used established tools (RoB 2 and ROBINS-I) to check the quality of each study, which is a good sign. However, the review found only 17 studies total, and some treatment phases had very few studies (only 3 for palliative care). The studies also varied in how they designed their exercise programs, which made it harder to compare results. The fact that the exact total number of patients wasn’t reported is a limitation that makes it harder to understand the overall strength of the evidence.

What the Results Show

Before surgery (neoadjuvant phase): Exercise didn’t significantly improve heart and lung fitness or muscle strength, but patients did gain muscle mass. This suggests that while exercise might help preserve the body during this stressful time, it may not dramatically improve fitness levels.

During recovery (rehabilitative phase): Results were mixed for fitness and body composition, but exercise clearly helped with muscle strength, blood sugar control, and quality of life after about 3 months. This is the phase where exercise seemed to work best, possibly because patients were recovering and their bodies could adapt to the activity.

During comfort-focused care (palliative phase): Exercise improved muscle strength and quality of life, but didn’t seem to affect survival or other clinical outcomes. This is important because it shows that even when cure isn’t possible, exercise can still help patients feel better and stronger.

The review found that exercise appeared to improve tryptophan metabolism (a chemical process in the body) during recovery, which might relate to mood and overall wellness. Quality of life improvements were consistent across recovery and palliative phases, suggesting that feeling better and having more strength matters to patients even if it doesn’t extend survival. The fact that exercise was safe across all phases is reassuring for patients worried about harming themselves.

This review adds to growing evidence that exercise can help cancer patients in general, but pancreatic cancer is particularly aggressive and understudied compared to breast or colorectal cancer. Previous research on other cancers showed exercise helps with fatigue and quality of life, and this review confirms similar benefits for pancreatic cancer. However, pancreatic cancer patients may face unique challenges (like digestive problems and rapid weight loss) that weren’t fully explored in these studies.

The biggest limitation is that only 17 studies were found, and some treatment phases had very few studies to analyze. The studies used different types of exercise programs, different durations, and different measurements, making it hard to say exactly what kind of exercise works best. The review didn’t report the total number of patients involved, which limits our understanding of how strong the evidence is. Most importantly, the researchers noted that more high-quality studies are needed, especially for the pre-surgery and palliative phases.

The Bottom Line

If you have pancreatic cancer, talk to your oncology team about whether exercise is appropriate for your specific situation and treatment phase. Exercise appears safe and may help with strength and quality of life, particularly during recovery (moderate confidence). Start slowly and work with a physical therapist or exercise specialist familiar with cancer patients. Expect to see benefits after about 3 months of consistent activity. This should complement, not replace, standard cancer treatment.

Pancreatic cancer patients and their families should care about this research, especially those in recovery phases. Healthcare providers treating pancreatic cancer patients should consider discussing exercise as part of supportive care. This research is less relevant for people without pancreatic cancer, though exercise benefits apply broadly to cancer patients generally.

Quality of life improvements were observed after about 3 months of exercise intervention. Muscle strength gains also appeared within this timeframe. However, improvements in fitness and body composition took longer and were less consistent. Patients should expect a gradual process rather than quick results.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly exercise sessions (type, duration, and intensity) and rate quality of life on a 1-10 scale weekly. Also monitor muscle strength through simple tests like how many times you can stand from a chair in 30 seconds, recorded monthly.
  • Start with 10-15 minutes of gentle activity (walking, stretching) three times per week, gradually increasing to 30 minutes as tolerated. Log each session in the app and set a goal of 3 sessions per week. Include both aerobic activity (like walking) and strength exercises (like resistance bands or bodyweight exercises).
  • Create a 12-week tracking plan with check-ins every 3 weeks to assess changes in strength, energy levels, and how you feel overall. Use the app to monitor consistency with exercise and correlate it with quality of life ratings. Share progress reports with your healthcare team to adjust the program as needed.

This research summary is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Pancreatic cancer is a serious condition requiring specialized medical care. Before starting any exercise program, patients must consult with their oncology team and healthcare providers to ensure the program is safe for their specific situation, treatment phase, and overall health status. Exercise should complement, not replace, standard cancer treatments. Individual results vary, and what works for one patient may not work for another.