Guest Post-David Haas

I was contacted earlier this week about a guest post written by David Haas.  He is passionate about caregivers, cancer fighters and survivors. Since Big Bird and I watched first hand cancer still our Dad away and take the lives of my Aunt Karen (lung cancer) and my Great Aunt Sandy (breast cancer)-I am grateful for people who are "cheerleaders" for caregivers in any respect.

I am excited to share his post on how exercise can improve the lives of those fighting such crippling diseases.

You can learn more about David here.

Exercise Improves Life in All Phases of the Cancer Fight

By: David Haas

Whether you are newly diagnosed, already undergoing treatment or surviving cancer, there have surely been times where you felt like all the fight has already been drained from you. The last thing you could imagine doing is reaching for your last bit of strength to maintain your level of fitness or get a bit of exercise. Research shows, however, that the benefits and payoff of doing just that make it worth the mental and physical effort with rewards that can help save your life.

In fact, in June 2010, the National Cancer Institute released a bulletin entitled "Guidelines Urge Exercise for Cancer Patients, Survivors." This bulletin explains what is currently understood about the benefits of exercise and fitness during cancer treatment and recovery, and what future avenues can be explored with further research.

It had already been determined by clinicians at the University of Pennsylvania that weight lifting and other resistance-type exercise reduced the incidence of lymphedema in breast cancer survivors. Published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" in 2009, this study explained that exercise helps, rather than exacerbates this painful and potentially dangerous swelling of the arms.

The more recent information stresses to doctors and patients that cancer patients at all stages of disease and recovery should be urged to stay or become active. It seems that, in addition to the specific benefit of reduced lymphedema for breast cancer patients and survivors, overall quantity and quality of life may be improved in many types of cancer. They point out, though, that further analysis is required to determine the extent to which progression-free and overall survival are affected. What is known is the positive effect on quality of life. During and after treatment, body image becomes a factor leading to reduced quality of life, and perhaps depression. Exercise significantly improved this variable. Another major benefit addresses changes in body composition. Whether treatments lead to muscle wasting and weakness or weight gain and fat deposition, exercise helps to fight these changes.

The researchers point out that the evidence only supports specific recommendations for breast, colorectal, gynecologic, prostate and blood-based cancers at this point. This is not because exercise will not benefit patients with other types of cancer. It only means that current studies have not included enough data on them to this point. Obviously, recommendations will vary by type of cancer. For example, if surgery has weakened an area of the body, that factor needs to be considered. The same exercises may not have the same benefits for patients who have breast cancer versus someone with lung cancer, mesothelioma, bone cancer and so on.

One of the most important things to come from this study, researcher hope, is to encourage activity and to stress to doctors that cancer patients can, and should, exercise. Patients, oncologists and trainers will hopefully adopt these new recommendations to help cancer patients maximize the quality and perhaps even the quantity of their lives