The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a widely used test for the indirect measurement of cardiorespiratory fitness in various cancer populations. Although the 6MWT is a simple test, there are no normative values for breast cancer survivors (BCS) or comparisons of results with healthy counterparts. A systematic review with a meta-analysis was carried out, which included studies from 2007 to 2020. Ninety-one studies were found, 21 of which were included in the quantitative synthesis. Among them were 9 randomized controlled trials (RCT), 8 prospective cohort studies and 4 cross-sectional studies. A total of 1084 BCS were included. Our results revealed that healthy subjects (n = 878) covered a significantly greater distance than BCS during the 6MWT (589.9 m vs. 477.4 m, p < 0.001), and the results of the meta-regression analysis showed that the 6MWD was predicted by the participants’ BMI (p < 0.001), but not by their age (p = 0.070). After adjustment for BMI, the healthy subjects also covered greater distances than the BCS (103 m; p < 0.001). The normative values of 6MWT were presented for BCS. Besides, 6MWT distances distinguish between their healthy counterparts, therefore, the 6MWT distance is a relevant parameter for the assessment and monitoring of cardiorespiratory fitness in medical and exercise interventions for BCS.
Physiological Factors Important to Cardiorespiratory Fitness are Similar Between Breast Cancer Survivors and Controls
