Traditional Chinese exercise for cancer-related sleep disturbance: A systematic review and descriptive analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background: Traditional Chinese exercise (TCE) has been found to be an effective and convenient treatment for cancer-related sleep disturbance. This study aimed to summarize and assess the effects of TCE on cancer-related sleep disturbance. Methods: Randomized controlled trials utilizing TCE for managing cancer-related sleep disturbance were searched in 11 databases. The primary outcome was sleep quality measured by various patient-reported scales, and the secondary outcome was TCE-related adverse events. Descriptive analysis was adopted for outcome assessment. Results: Ten studies and three ongoing trials were included. TCE had a significantly positive effect on sleep outcomes compared with usual care. However, contradictory findings were reported when comparing TCE with other exercises and a sham intervention. Conclusion: This study supported a potentially beneficial role of TCE in alleviating cancer-related sleep disturbance. More rigorously designed sham-controlled studies are necessary to further explore the role of TCE in managing cancer-related sleep disturbance.