PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA — A nationwide clinical trial found that cancer patients who followed a structured exercise program during chemotherapy reported fewer problems with thinking and memory, according to research published in the March 2026 issue of the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
The study, conducted across 20 community oncology practices in the United States, evaluated 687 patients receiving chemotherapy for the first time, researchers said.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either standard chemotherapy care or an exercise program known as Exercise for Cancer Patients (EXCAP), which included walking and resistance band exercises tailored to each patient.
Researchers found that patients undergoing chemotherapy on a two-week cycle who followed the exercise program reported less cognitive decline and mental fatigue compared with those who did not participate in the program.
The benefits were not observed among patients receiving chemotherapy on three- or four-week cycles, according to the study.
Patients in the exercise group were also able to maintain daily walking levels during treatment, while those not enrolled in the program reduced their walking by about 53%, researchers said.
“It was striking to find that without a structured exercise plan, patients receiving chemotherapy often reduce their daily walking by half and experience notable increases in problems with thinking, memory, and mental fatigue,” said co-lead author Po-Ju Lin of the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
Co-lead author Karen Mustian said the findings suggest exercise could be incorporated into cancer care.
“A safe, simple exercise program could be an important part of supportive care for people going through chemotherapy,” Mustian said, adding that providers should consider recommending home-based exercise and monitoring patients’ cognitive symptoms.
Researchers noted that chemotherapy side effects, including fatigue and nausea, often lead patients to reduce physical activity.
They said the two-week treatment cycle may allow enough recovery time for patients to participate in exercise, though additional studies are needed to confirm the findings in broader populations.
An outside expert not involved in the study said the results provide potential guidance for patients concerned about cognitive effects during treatment.
“This study offers encouraging news: there may be something patients can do to reduce their risk of cognitive impairment during chemotherapy—exercise,” said Dr. Lindsay Peterson, a medical oncologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
The study was conducted through the University of Rochester Cancer Center’s National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program.
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