What we know and what we do

We all know that exercise benefits cardiac patients. It is universally included in rehabilitation plans for patients with heart disease. But what about exercise in cancer patients? Nanette Mutrie and colleagues conducted a randomized controlled trial of group exercise in 177 women with early stage breast cancer (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39094.648553.AE). Six months after the 12 week program, the intervention group had both psychological and physical benefits compared with the control group. In an accompanying editorial Julie Silver says that exercise is known to have important psychological effects but that the physical effects may also be important …