Providence Regional Cancer System Survivorship Blog

Entries in Making Changes (7)

Monday
Jan032011

A 2011 resolution: Exercise more to help your cancer treatment

"Exercise, Me, are you joking?" This is a comment that I have heard many times over by those in treatment who simply cannot imagine another part to their cancer treatment. As a lymphedema therapist at Providence St.Peter Hospital Outpatient Lymphedema clinic I have had the privilege in my 6 years specializing to work closely with numerous cancer patients on their treatment journey.

Exercise is often viewed as a double sided coin; on one side is the desire to work out and the other is the fear of the unknown and how exercise will effect someone going through cancer treatment. In fact, The American Cancer Society advises that individuals going through cancer treatment, with approval from your doctor, benefit from moderate activity 3-5 times a week. Moderate activity is defined as the equivalent to a brisk walk OR performing a task where you can still carry on a conversation.

Exercise has many positive side effects in cancer patients such as:

  • Decreasing fatigue, nausea, anemia
  • Improving mental clarity
  • Promoting a sense of well being
  • Reducing stress
  • Reduce the deconditioning that can come with decreased activity

If you have found yourself feeling "tight" after surgery or radiation or "drained" from chemotherapy simple stretching can be a wonderful tool to helping you feel "more like you."

Exercise does not have to be a structured program! Just getting up and moving will help and feel good. Simple housework and your daily routine may be enough. Did you know vacuuming or mopping burns ~150 calories an hour? Calculate how much you're already doing with The American Cancer Society's exercise calculator.

Your body will tell you if you’ve done too much or are where you should be. Again, be sure to talk with your doctor and consider keeping an exercise journal. That way you can track your progress and check in at your appointments to make sure you're on the right track for you.

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Monday
Nov082010

There's never been a better time to quit smoking

chemotherapy, tobacco, smokingIt may seem obvious, but it’s worth saying again. Tobacco use causes cancer. However, some may feel that once they have received a diagnosis of cancer they have already “missed the boat” when it comes to quitting. These people couldn’t be more wrong!

 A diagnosis of cancer may be the perfect time to commit to quitting smoking.

 A study at the London Regional Cancer Center, Ontario, Canada followed 215 patients receiving chemotherapy for small-cell lung cancer. Of the 215 patients, 186 provided their smoking status. 79 patients continued to smoke during chemotherapy and 107 quit smoking during chemotherapy. The study followed the patients for a period of ten years after chemotherapy and proved what most people already suspected … continuing to smoke decreases your chances of survival. On average, those who quit smoking lived longer.

View the full study >>

Taking this study out of the context of lung cancer I think it’s applicable to all cancer diagnoses.

According to the National Cancer Institute, of the 4,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, 250 are known to be harmful including hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide and ammonia. Of these 250 chemicals more than 50 have been found to cause cancer. Spit tobacco isn’t any better, containing more than 28 cancer-causing agents.

As a patient undergoing treatment for cancer it’s also important to understand the risks of secondhand smoke … approximately 3,000 lunch cancer deaths occur each year among adult nonsmokers in the United States as a result of exposure to secondhand smoke.

There’s no way around it. Tobacco is dangerous. Regardless of who you are, I recommend quitting. If you or someone you know is living with a diagnosis of cancer, quit now. It’s never to late to stop.

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