Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
197,768 studies31 sourcesUpdated 22 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Journal of Clinical Medicine

Balneotherapy and Spa Rehabilitation in Patients with Hematological Malignancies: Current Evidence, Clinical Safety, and a Proposed Qualification Framework—A Critical Narrative Review

  • Amanda Maria Kostro1
  • Zofia Dzięcioł-Anikiej1,2
  • Marta Sobas3
  • Maria Czyżewska4
  • Jacek Chojnowski5
  • Agnieszka Staniak6
  • Dominik Romiński7,8,9
  • Adam Kopciewski1
  • Mariusz Baumgart10
10 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Personalized Physiotherapy of the Musculoskeletal System, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 7a Street, 15-096 Bialystok, Poland
  2. 2Physical Activity Research Laboratory, Clinical Research Center, Medical University of Bialystok, M. Skłodowskiej-Curie Street 24a, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland
  3. 3Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Ujejskiego Street 75, 85-168 Bydgoszcz, Poland
  4. 4Hematology Department, The Ludwik Rydygier Provincial Hospital in Torun, St. Joseph Street 53–59, 87-100 Torun, Poland
  5. 5Ciechocinek Health Resort, Piłsudskiego Street 3, 87-720 Ciechocinek, Poland
  6. 6InesFizjo Physiotherapy, Kminkowa 2/4, 80-177 Gdansk, Poland
  7. 7Direction Health Association, 24 Mickiewicza St., 87-100 Torun, Poland
  8. 8oncoAlliance, Wawelska Street 15b/3, 04-881 Warsaw, Poland
  9. 9Initiative for Hematological Rehabilitation, 24 Mickiewicza St., 87-100 Torun, Poland
  10. 10Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Łukasiewicza Street 1, 85-821 Bydgoszcz, Poland
Open at sourceDOICite

Abstract

Background: Hematological malignancies and their treatment frequently cause fatigue, reduced physical capacity, neuropathy, pain and impaired quality of life. Exercise-based rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as part of the care of patients with hematological malignancies, whereas the role and safety of spa-based interventions, such as balneotherapy, hydrotherapy and peloidotherapy, remain uncertain. Methods: A critical narrative review of PubMed was performed. Evidence obtained in patients with hematological malignancies (direct evidence) was distinguished from evidence obtained in other oncological and non-oncological populations (indirect evidence), and each recommendation was assigned an evidence-certainty label (A–D). Results: No clinical studies evaluating balneotherapy or spa therapy in hematological malignancies were identified. Evidence supports exercise-based and functional rehabilitation for improving physical capacity, fatigue and quality of life, including in selected patients with cytopenias. Evidence for spa-specific procedures is indirect, and the laboratory thresholds used in practice derive from exercise studies and expert opinion rather than from validation for spa-specific procedures. Conclusions: The benefits documented in this population relate to rehabilitation and exercise, which can also be delivered in a spa setting; spa-specific procedures should be regarded as optional adjuncts requiring procedure-specific qualification. As a hypothesis for prospective evaluation, we also outline a framework in which the time-based eligibility criterion used in Poland is supplemented by structured clinical assessment.

Related

  1. Vaccination of patients with hematological malignancies: barriers and strategies to improve uptake
    Toni Valković, Paolo Salamon, Vanja Vasiljev +1
    Frontiers in medicinePeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  2. Correlates of Caregiver Burden Among Informal Caregivers of Patients With Hematological Malignancies: The Roles of Coping, Resilience, and Perceived Social Support
    Nasrin Akhter, Amin Lutful Kabir, Adnan Hasan Masud +7
    CureusPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMC
  3. Social Inequalities, Geographical Accessibility to Care, and Excess Mortality for Patients With Hematological Malignancies in France: Results From French Cancer Registries
    J. Gardy, X. Troussard, M. Maynadié +17
    Hematological OncologyPeer-reviewedLicence not statedFull textGeneral biologyOncologyHAL
  4. Prophylaxis Strategies for SARS‐CoV‐2 Infection in Adults With Hematological Malignancies in Saudi Arabia: Consensus Statements From the Working Group on COVID‐19 Management in Hematological Malignancies
    Mubarak Al‐Mansour, Ayman Alhejazi, Manal Ahmed Alsaggaf +6
    Cancer ReportsPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textInfectious diseasePMC
  5. CAR T-Cell Therapy in Hematological Malignancies: Mechanisms, Innovations, and Challenges
    Alaa A. A. Aljabali, Mohammad A. Obeid, Abdelrahim Alqudah +9
    CancersPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textOncologyCrossrefEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{kostro2026balneotherapy,
  title = {{Balneotherapy and Spa Rehabilitation in Patients with Hematological Malignancies: Current Evidence, Clinical Safety, and a Proposed Qualification Framework—A Critical Narrative Review}},
  author = {Amanda Maria Kostro and Zofia Dzięcioł-Anikiej and Marta Sobas and Maria Czyżewska and Jacek Chojnowski and Agnieszka Staniak and Dominik Romiński and Adam Kopciewski and Mariusz Baumgart},
  journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/jcm15218289},
  url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8289},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Balneotherapy and Spa Rehabilitation in Patients with Hematological Malignancies: Current Evidence, Clinical Safety, and a Proposed Qualification Framework—A Critical Narrative Review
AU  - Amanda Maria Kostro
AU  - Zofia Dzięcioł-Anikiej
AU  - Marta Sobas
AU  - Maria Czyżewska
AU  - Jacek Chojnowski
AU  - Agnieszka Staniak
AU  - Dominik Romiński
AU  - Adam Kopciewski
AU  - Mariusz Baumgart
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/24
JO  - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO  - 10.3390/jcm15218289
UR  - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8289
AB  - Background: Hematological malignancies and their treatment frequently cause fatigue, reduced physical capacity, neuropathy, pain and impaired quality of life. Exercise-based rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as part of the care of patients with hematological malignancies, whereas the role and safety of spa-based interventions, such as balneotherapy, hydrotherapy and peloidotherapy, remain uncertain. Methods: A critical narrative review of PubMed was performed. Evidence obtained in patients with hematological malignancies (direct evidence) was distinguished from evidence obtained in other oncological and non-oncological populations (indirect evidence), and each recommendation was assigned an evidence-certainty label (A–D). Results: No clinical studies evaluating balneotherapy or spa therapy in hematological malignancies were identified. Evidence supports exercise-based and functional rehabilitation for improving physical capacity, fatigue and quality of life, including in selected patients with cytopenias. Evidence for spa-specific procedures is indirect, and the laboratory thresholds used in practice derive from exercise studies and expert opinion rather than from validation for spa-specific procedures. Conclusions: The benefits documented in this population relate to rehabilitation and exercise, which can also be delivered in a spa setting; spa-specific procedures should be regarded as optional adjuncts requiring procedure-specific qualification. As a hypothesis for prospective evaluation, we also outline a framework in which the time-based eligibility criterion used in Poland is supplemented by structured clinical assessment.
SN  - 2077-0383
ER  -