October 15, 2003
Cancer and Exercise
According this article, 9.5 millions of Americans are living their lives post cancer.
I'm one of 'em, so I look around for information like this. The article, brought to me by Yahoo via the AP, mentions that cancer survivors recover better with an exercise program.
Okay, so maybe that's not relevant per se - I'm nearly 12 years past, but it is nice to see my lifestyle validated in terms that directly apply. Here's some text from the article.
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Nearly two-thirds of cancer patients live more than five years after diagnosis. And starting during treatment, they face choices about food, dietary supplements and physical activity that can affect quality of life, sometimes even survival.
Yet it's difficult to find consumer-friendly information that separates the fads and frauds from scientifically backed choices. Hence the cancer society's new guidelines, published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Topping the advice: there's no magic lifestyle choice that will keep cancer from returning. Beware fads like Gerson therapy, with its emphasis on vegetable juices and coffee enemas. Talk with your doctor about even the seemingly innocuous — high doses of vitamins, for instance, may actually block certain cancer treatments from working.
In fact, the No. 1 protection against another bout of cancer is to avoid being overweight, Doyle says.
And, for more information on the topic of exercise and cancer, well, there's always Lance Armstrong, who is in town today for the Tour of Hope.
hln
Posted by hln at October 15, 2003 07:59 AM | Health/Fitness/Nutrition | TrackBack
Comments
Remarkable how much cancer risk one can avert simply by living right, isn't it?
I recall somewhere reading that the two most potent known carcinogens are oxygen and sunlight. As I have no plans to live in a dungeon and hold my breath, I see no way to make use of that fact. But moderation in eating and in the drinking of alcohol, coupled with some mild exercise, will do more to extend your life than anything else you can do for yourself.
Oh, don't smoke, either.
