The Latest Health News Extracts

We Show The Way, You Find All Info Easily!

Exercise And Cancer

The Latest Health Extracts From The World Of Research Via The Web

The 2002 International Agency on Research Against Cancer Report, Weight Control and Physical Activity, indicated that physical activity is likely to have a substantial preventive effect for cancers of the colon and breast. In addition, research is expanding on the role of physical activity in improving the quality of life among cancer patients and cancer survivors, and on its potential beneficial effect on prognosis and survival. Several studies within the SEER registry program have contributed to this body of evidence. Two population-based studies using participants from the Los Angeles Cancer Surveillance Program revealed that physical activity greatly reduces the risk for colon cancer in men and breast cancer in women. In addition, a collaborative effort across SEER registries in the Los Angeles County area, New Mexico, and Seattle is examining the combined effects of physical activity, weight, and diet on breast cancer prognosis. 14

Researchers selected 2,950 men diagnosed with colon cancer and categorized them according to occupation, grouped by level of activity involved in the job: sedentary, moderately active, or highly active. The study demonstrated that colorectal cancer risk increased as activity level decreased. This gradient was consistent for all socioeconomic factors, for whites, blacks, immigrant and native Hispanics, and for each subsection of the colon. The effect of physical activity on the colon is consistent with the evidence supporting dietary influence on the causes of cancer and other diseases, and the researchers urged further study of dietary effects on cancer risk. 14

The breast cancer case-control study conducted by the Los Angeles SEER registry evaluated the effects of physical exercise on breast cancer risk in women aged 20-40 years. In all cases, controlling for numerous variables, the risk of breast cancer significantly declined with increasing amounts of lifetime physical exercise. The investigators proposed that habitual physical activity can alter menstrual function, which reduces the cumulative exposure to the carcinogenic effects of progesterone and estradiol. 14

The HEAL (Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle) Study of Breast Cancer Prognosis is examining the effect of physical activity, weight, and diet on breast cancer prognosis among a multiethnic cohort of women with early stage breast cancer. Initial results from this study have found that physical activity levels were reduced significantly after patients were diagnosed with breast cancer. Greater decreases in physical activity were observed among women who were overweight at the time of diagnosis of breast cancer. These results suggest that declines in physical activity may contribute to weight gain commonly experienced during breast cancer treatment, which has been found to have an adverse effect on prognosis. 14

It may be counter-intuitive, but the more you exercise, the less tired you’re likely to be, according to studies. "It helps with cardio-pulmonary fitness, as well as muscular strength, both of which can contribute to reducing cancer-related fatigue,” says Karen M[.] Mustian, assistant professor at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, who studies the effects of exercise in people with breast or prostate cancers. Exercise helps counteract a cycle – fatigue-inactivity-muscle wasting-more fatigue – that affects many cancer patients. 23

The authors concluded that aerobic exercise training would improve the physical functions of women undergoing chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. It was suggested that these improvements in physical function would enable people with cancer to have more energy and be more independent in self-care and activities of daily living. Enhanced energy might also limit feelings of fatigue from cancer and its treatments. The authors recommended further research to investigate the impact of this phenomenon in cancer patients. However, there were no additional controlled studies on this topic until 1995. 3

A survey based on information collected over a 23-year period in a research project called the Copenhagen Male Study found that regular exercise can help prevent intestinal cancer. The study comprised 5,000 men divided into four separate groups ranging from those who exercise very little to those who exercise a lot. Doctors examining the material believe that moderate physical activity strengthens the immune system and therefore helps prevent the cancer from developing. 27

The six remaining studies on exercise and cancer were published between 1997 and 1999. In 1997, Mock and colleagues examined the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on physical function, fatigue, emotional distress, and sleep disturbances in subjects with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy. 3

New research is looking at whether exercise might have even more benefits for people with cancer. Three studies in 2006 found an association between physical activity and decreased recurrence of breast and colorectal cancers. 23

Segar and colleagues (1998) performed a study on the influence of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training on psychological well-being in subjects with breast cancer. This study examined the influence of aerobic exercise on self-esteem, depression, and anxiety in 24 breast cancer survivors. Subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise group, an exercise group with behavior modification, and a control group. Self-paced aerobic exercise was performed for 30 to 40 minutes, four days per week for 10 weeks, at 60% of the subjects’ predicted maximal heart rate. 3

Dr. MacKinnon earned her PhD in exercise science at the University of Michigan. She previously held the position of research assistant professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. 13

Due to the fact that cancer can affect anyone, the risk factors are much higher than some of the other diseases in the world today. Many people ask that question of how cancer develops. 10

The second study published by this group examined the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise training on physical performance and on the number and severity of treatment-related complications (Dimeo, et al. subjects with solid tumors undergoing high-dose chemotherapy were selected to participate in this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to a training group or a control group. Twenty-eight subjects completed the training and 32 subjects served as controls. All subjects were evaluated one week prior to hospitalization and again at discharge. Aerobic training was performed for 30 consecutive minutes daily on a supine cycle ergometer, at 50% of the subject’s maximal heart rate, for approximately six weeks. At discharge, the exercise group had significantly higher maximal physical performance levels than the control group. 3

Free radicals and hydrogen peroxide continues to be a topic of research interest in cancer and chronic disease. Hydrogen peroxide,a waste product of metabolism, can be a precursor of free radicals that can damage cells. 40

The Panacea offers these health-extracts to help people investigate health-related subjects in greater depth using the references given in each paragraph. Kindly note that these are current extracts from the web, meant for research, and that these are not meant to be medical advise. For all your health-related needs you must consult trained and licensed personnel.

Important posts in Cancer Related

comments

Leave a Reply