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Exercise Benefits and Cancer Survivorship
By Laura Shipp, B.S. & Matthew S. Wiggins, Ed.D.
Research indicates that four in every ten people will develop cancer in their lifetime, while one in every four who have cancer will die from it (Daniel, 2002). Cancer is obviously affecting a great portion of our world's families and individuals. Because of this, many are making a great effort to learn more about cancer and its treatments, prevention, and recovery. It is amazing to know that over 81 percent of cancer deaths are related to lifestyle factors, such as diet, smoking, and inactivity. Physical inactivity has been linked to colon, breast, testicular, ovarian, and prostate caners (Daniel, 2002). Exercise is known to be a great preventative because of its numerous benefits. Many question the proper timing and amount of exercise during cancer treatment and recovery, and survivors want to know if exercise is really beneficial for those already diagnosed with cancer?
One of the most adverse cancer therapy effects involves increases in fatigue (Thune, 1998). In fact, 72 to 95 percent of patients experience debilitating fatigue (Schneider et al, 2003). The fatigue patterns differ with each type of treatment. Most patients going through chemotherapy experience fatigue 3-4 days following their treatment. This energy loss increases until about ten days after treatment and then declines causing a difficult cycle for the patient. This rollercoaster of energy levels causes a psychological fatigue as well (Schwartz, 2000). Most people experiencing radiation therapy do not feel fatigued until the fourth week of treatment. The fatigue is mostly physical rather that psychological. Fatigue in relation to surgery is not as severe as the other treatments. Most of the fatigue occurs immediately after an operation and steadily decreases with time and recovery. Other side effects of cancer treatment include pain, lymphedema, sleep disturbance, depression, and anxiety.
Although there are several negative results of cancer and its treatment, many things can be done to alleviate the adverse effects, and increase the quality of life of a patient with cancer. Exercise is a very important part of that improvement. The general benefits of exercise are well known. Participating in regular physical activity during or after cancer treatment can improve overall health by
- decreasing fatigue levels
- increasing cardiovascular fitness
- maintaining a healthy weight
- increasing immunity
- maintaining and building muscle strength and endurance
It is wise to exercise before beginning cancer treatment, because it can build up strength, flexibility, energy stores, endurance, and balance to better prepare the patient for the effects of the treatment. Those enduring chemotherapy are greatly and negatively affected from the treatment. Exercising can help to regain the benefits listed previously and improve metabolism, normalize appetite, and help the body to rid itself of the drug's by-products, which encourages healing (Bruning, 2002). Exercise can also be a great tension reliever, as well as give a psychological boost and decrease nausea caused by all treatments.
Because cancer patients experience so many treatments and often undergo several prolonged and repeated hospitalizations, their level of physical activity is greatly decreased. De-conditioning occurs because of this inactivity causing a reduced functional capacity to perform normal activities of daily living (Courneya et al., 2005). The first and most common result of inactivity is musculoskeletal weakness. Early intervention is the key to preventing problems that may occur due to the general weakness. It is much easier to maintain strength, range of motion, and endurance rather than to regain it.
Studies have also been conducted on exercise as a prevention of cancer. Exercise obviously helps prevent many of the risk factors that can lead to cancer, such as increasing the body's immune system. Research on the prevention of breast cancer has shown that decreasing body fat can reduce estrogen produced in fat stores and that exercise may reduce insulin resistance, which also promotes hormonal balance. Another study found that women who were engaged in recreational physical activity reduced their risk of breast cancer by 30 percent (Douville, 2000). A variety of other studies have been conducted on the effects of exercise during and after treatment for those with breast cancer. Some used aerobic exercise programs of various lengths, strengthening programs, and the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for healthy populations. From these studies it has been shown that upper body exercises are not necessarily contraindicated, and that breast cancer survivors should be encouraged to follow both an aerobic and strength program. Cancer survivors may need additional encouragement for program adherence (Courneya et al., 2002).
Even though there is so much evidence supporting the involvement of exercise participation throughout and after all types of cancer treatment, patients with cancer have not been informed of its importance for a better recovery. According to a recent study, 84 percent of the participants said that they preferred to receive exercise counseling during their cancer experience (Jones, 2002b). Unfortunately, another study's results showed that only 28.4 percent of its participants had conversations initiated by their oncologist on the topic of exercise, while 57.8 percent said that exercise was not discussed at all (Jones, 2002a). It is obvious that there is a need for education on the benefits and value of exercise and encouragement from physicians for the participation in exercise programs before, during, and after cancer diagnosis and treatment.
In conclusion, exercise has many benefits for every individual, and it is important to have an active lifestyle throughout one's life. An active lifestyle may help prevent cancer, and can also help increase the quality of life in an individual experiencing cancer and its treatments.
References
Bruning, N. (2002). Coping with chemotherapy. Avery. New York, NY
Courneya, K. S. et al. (2005). Correlates of exercise intentions in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma survivors: An application of the theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 27, 335-349.
Courneya, K. et al. (2002). Exercise for breast cancer survivors. Physician and Sports Medicine, Vol.30(8), 33-43.
Daniel, R. (2002). The cancer prevention book. Hunter House Publishers: Alameda, CA.
Douville, C., & O'Brien, R. (2000). Exercising to reduce breast cancer risk: Start taking steps toward protection. Nursing Management, Vol.31(4), 36.
Jones, L., & Courneya, K. (2002a). Exercise counseling and programming preferences of cancer survivors. Cancer Practice, Vol. 10(4), 208-215
Jones, L., & Courneya, K. (2002b). Exercise discussions during cancer treatment consultations. Cancer Practice, Vol. 10(2), 66-74.
Schneider, C. et al. (2003). Exercise and cancer recovery. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL.
Schwartz, A. (2000). Daily fatigue patterns and effect of exercise in women with breast cancer. Cancer Practice, Vol. 8(1), 16-24.
Thune, I. (1998). Physical exercise in rehabilitation program for cancer patients. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Vol. 4(2). 205-207.
Citation
Shipp, L., & Wiggins, M. S. (2006). Exercise benefits and cancer survivorship. Murray State University, Exercise and Cancer Recovery Web site