Table 2

Contraindications to exercise in patients with advanced cancer

Contraindications to exercise
General

  • Fever >38°C/>100 F

  • Active infection

  • General malaise

Cardiovascular

  • Arterial pressure (systolic >180 mm Hg, diastolic >110 mm Hg)

  • NYHA III/IV

  • Heart rate <50 or>100/min

  • Irregular heart rate

  • Chest pain during increased everyday activity

  • Severe aortic stenosis

  • Myocardial infarction within previous 3 months

  • Unexplained syncopal events

Haematological

  • Absolute neutrophil count <0.5×109/L

  • Haemoglobin <80 g/L

  • Platelets <50×109/L

Pulmonary

  • Sat O2 at rest <88%

  • Dyspnoea (mMRC grade 2–4)

Neurological

  • Severe cerebellar ataxia

  • Uncontrollable cerebral seizure condition

  • Untreated brain metastases

  • Based on exclusion criteria from prospective RCTs.24 25 32–43

  • mMRC, modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale; NYHA, New York Heart Association; RCT, randomised controlled trial.