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News from CaSfA's Director
News from CaSfA's Director
Blog
Cancer and Exercise
Posted on September 8, 2017 at 4:11 PM |
There is a
physical (and mental) decline in our bodies as we age—and studies have shown
that biologic aging begins in our 20’s!
Add cancer and the effects of its treatments to this decline and we can
end up with significant weaknesses. It can be
extremely challenging to do any exercise or fitness program during treatment
and even after treatment is completed. I
remember some days, just getting out of bed was a major accomplishment. There is pain and limited abilities that may
be secondary to surgeries and radiation.
Cancer and its treatments may also leave one with disorders of the
nervous system, such as peripheral neuropathy, making even walking painful, and
disrupting balance. Many of these issues
can take a very long time to improve, but research has shown that a program of
fitness and exercise can not only aid in recovery, but also reduce the risk
certain cancers forming and/or returning. Here’s great
info from National Cancer Institute: (From: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/physical-activity-fact-sheet; Go to link for references) Physical
activity: · Any movement that uses
skeletal muscles and requires more energy than does resting · Can include working,
exercising, performing household chores, and leisure-time activities such as
walking, tennis, hiking, bicycling, and swimming. · Is essential for people to
maintain a balance between the number of calories consumed
and the number of calories used. Consistently
expending fewer calories than are consumed leads to obesity, which is linked
to increased risks of 13 different cancers: Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus Colon and Rectal cancer Gastric cancer Liver cancer Gallbladder cancer Pancreatic cancer Breast cancer (postmenopausal) Uterine cancer (endometrial) Ovarian cancer Renal Cell (Kidney) cancer Meningioma (Brain) Thyroid cancer Multiple Myeloma (Blood cancer) Evidence
also indicates that physical activity may reduce the risk of getting several
cancers through other mechanisms, independent of its effect on obesity. (From:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/does-regular-exercise-reduce-cancer-risk)
A recent study from the National Cancer
Institute, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, strongly supports
the theory that regular exercise reduces the risk of many types of cancer. The
research team pooled the results of 12 large studies conducted both in the
United States and Europe, including over 1.4 million people. Study participants
provided information on their lifestyle, including physical activity. All of
the illnesses they developed were recorded, including nearly 190,000 cases of
cancer. The research team compared the rates of
cancer in those people with the highest levels of physical activity and those
with the lowest levels. They found that those with the highest levels of
physical activity had lower rates of cancer of the esophagus, lung, kidney,
colon, head and neck, rectum, bladder, and breast, as well as of two cancers of
the blood (myeloma and myeloid leukemia). The rates of these cancers in the
most active people were 7% to 38% lower than in the least active people.
Interestingly, the most active men had a 4% higher rate of prostate cancer and
a 28% higher rate of melanoma. The researchers doubted the significance of the
very slightly higher rate of prostate cancer, and they presented evidence that
the higher rate of melanoma was likely because the more active people spent a
lot more time in the sun. Exercise
has a number of biological effects on the body, some of which have been
proposed to explain associations with specific cancers, including: · Lowering the levels of hormones, such as insulin and estrogen, and of certain growth factors that have been associated with cancer
development and progression [especially important for reducing risk of breast and colon cancer] · Helping to prevent obesity and decreasing the harmful
effects of obesity, particularly the development of insulin resistance (failure
of the body's cells to respond to insulin) · Reducing inflammation · Improving immune system function · Altering the metabolism of bile acids, resulting in decreased exposure
of the gastrointestinal tract to these suspected carcinogens [especially important for reducing risk of colon cancer] ·
Reducing the amount of time it
takes for food to travel through the digestive system, which decreases
gastrointestinal tract exposure to possible carcinogens [especially important for
reducing risk of colon cancer] The
benefits of physical activity/fitness for cancer survivors (and remember, by
current definition, you are considered a survivor from the day you are
diagnosed): · Not only reduces chance of
getting certain cancers, but also reduces incidence of recurrence · Improves prognosis and
likelihood of survival · Improves quality of
life—including self-esteem, emotional well-being, sexuality,
sleep disturbance, social functioning, anxiety, fatigue, depression and pain · Reduces incidence and
severity of other chronic conditions which may complicate care, such as
cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes · Reduces body weight and
body mass index (which may have increased as a result of cancer therapy) · Improves cognitive
function · Reduces side effects of
some cancer therapies (Dr. Ligibel of Dana Farber has done studies that showed
exercise reduced the side effects of aromatase inhibitors used to treat some
breast cancers https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4372849/
and http://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/exercise-helps-ease-ai-side-effects) How
much exercise should we be getting? Adults need at least: 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e.,
brisk walking) every week and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more
days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen,
chest, shoulders, and arms). OR 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (i.e.,
jogging or running) every week and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more
days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen,
chest, shoulders, and arms). OR An equivalent mix of moderate- and
vigorous-intensity aerobic activity and
muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more
days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen,
chest, shoulders, and arms). NOTE: 10
minutes at a time is fine We know 150 minutes each week sounds like a lot
of time, but it's not. That's 2 hours and 30 minutes, about the same amount of
time you might spend watching a movie. The good news is that you can spread
your activity out during the week, so you don't have to do it all at once. You
can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. It's about
what works best for you, as long as you're doing physical activity at a
moderate or vigorous effort for at least 10 minutes at a time. |
Categories: general
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