The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) have recently recommended that exercise should be integrated into cancer management as standard practice and should be regarded as an adjunct to help counteract some cancer symptoms and treatment side effects.
They have also advised that all oncology multidisciplinary team members should promote physical activity and help facilitate their patients’ engagement with an exercise program, in some cases incorporating an experienced exercise physiologist or physiotherapist.
Dr Prue Cormie (clinical researcher and lead author of the COSA position statement) says:
“If we could turn the benefits of exercise into a pill, it would be demanded by patients, prescribed by every cancer specialist and subsidised by governments. It would be seen as a major breakthrough in cancer treatment”.
According to Dr Cormie, the evidence is irrefutable and in fact, withholding exercise from patients is likely to be harmful. And backing her up are hundreds of studies proving the actual benefits of exercise for those with cancer – of varying stages and types. The studied benefits include both improvements to cancer treatment outcomes and reduced co-morbidities.
For example, in an analysis of 61 clinical trialsresearch studies performed to test new treatments, tests or procedures and evaluate their effectiveness on various diseases studying women on treatment for different stages of breast cancer, those involved in regular exercise had improved energy, fitness, strength, quality of life, and reduced depression, anxiety, body mass index and waist circumference. In other studies, similar results have been shown, along with additional improvements in physical function and sleep quality.
Currently, the recommended goal from COSA for those undergoing treatment for cancer is:
- a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week (ie. walking, jogging, cycling, swimming); and
- 2-3 resistance exercise sessions per week (ie. weights), involving moderate- to vigorous- intensity exercises targeting the major muscle groups.
This translates to roughly 21 minutes per day of aerobic exercise, as well as a couple of muscle-building sessions each week.
The treating team should thus promote these recommendations throughout treatment, and tailor them to the individual’s capabilities, likely disease trajectory and health status. It’s also advised that accredited exercise physiologists or physiotherapists experienced in oncology should be consulted regarding the structure and delivery of exercise programs within cancer treatment.
What can you do?
Cancer treatment can be so multi-faceted that it’s overwhelming, and more so when you’re suffering from severe side effects, fatigue or poor memory. Added to that, these exercise recommendations have the potential to feel like a further burden, but it’s important that we remember to individualise the plan based on YOUR cancer, and YOUR symptoms and current state. Even just stretching and strengthening during chemo infusions can improve your outlook or help you feel stronger. It can just be something basic and easy, modified for you and tailored to where you’re at in each stage of treatment. And the evidence says it’s likely to really help.
Sources:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the safety, feasibility and effect of exercise in women with stage II+ breast cancer. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, May 2018.
Efficacy of exercise interventions in patients with advancedat a late stage, far along cancer: A systematic review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, May 2018