Investigating endocannabinoid system and subjective responses to exercise in cancer patients: Rationale and future research directions

Abstract Over forty years of evidence supports the integration of exercise therapy in cancer care. However, most cancer patients remain insufficiently active due in part to subjectively reported treatment-related side effects (and late effects) including fatigue, pain, appetite dysregulation, insomnia, cognitive impairment, depression, anxiety, low self-efficacy, and poor motivation. Many of these symptoms can be mitigated with exercise. However, the biological mechanisms by which exercise attenuates these cancer treatment-related side effects remain to be elucidated. This article presents a rationale