Measurement and Reporting of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Biomarkers in Exercise Intervention Studies in Adults with Cancer: A Scoping Review

Oxidative stress has been implicated in both cancer pathogenesis and treatment-related toxicity, and structured exercise has been proposed as a non-pharmacological strategy that may help modulate this redox imbalance in patients and survivors with cancer, although the consistency of this effect across the existing literature remains unclear. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidance, searched four databases for exercise intervention studies reporting at least one oxidative stress or antioxidant biomarker in adult cancer patients or survivors, published between January 2000 and July 2026. Data were charted narratively rather than pooled, with attention to biomarker category, biological specimen, analytical method, sampling timing, and the completeness of exercise-prescription and treatment-context reporting. Twelve reports representing ten independent cohorts met the eligibility criteria. The evidence base consisted of randomized, non-randomized, and single-arm studies and was dominated by studies involving women with breast cancer. Because nine of the 12 reports enrolled women with breast cancer, the findings primarily characterize this population and may not be directly generalizable to other cancer types, male patients, or patients receiving different treatment regimens. Across the included reports, reductions in lipid peroxidation products and markers of protein or DNA oxidative damage were reported in some studies, whereas findings for enzymatic antioxidants and composite redox indices were directionally inconsistent. However, these descriptive patterns should be interpreted cautiously because the included studies varied substantially in design, specimen type, analytical platform, sampling timing relative to exercise and treatment, and reporting completeness. Overall, the heterogeneity in study design, treatment context, biomarker measurement, and sampling procedures precludes conclusions regarding the magnitude or direction of exercise-related redox effects in this population.