So for those of you in the Twitterverse, stop by Monday (8/13), at 9:00pm EST. Use the hashtag #BCSM. Or you can use www.Tweetchat.com, login with your Twitter account and use #BCSM.
In preparation for the discussion, I thought I'd give a brief roundup of what we know about exercise and breast cancer.
First, exercise has been shown in numerous studies over numerous years to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer. The World Health Organization estimates a 20-40% decrease in the risk of developing breast cancer among physically active women.1
But for those of us who have already had breast cancer, what do we need to know about exercise??There is now a large and still-growing body of evidence that shows positive benefit in quality of life as well as outcome for breast cancer survivors who exercise.
The first studies looked at quality of life issues. Moderate exercise was shown to reduce some of the side effects of cancer treatment: improve mood and self-esteem, reduce fatigue, and even speed recovery. In 2003, Kerry Courneya, John Mackey, and colleagues reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology that exercise had a positive effect on quality of life in post-menopausal breast cancer survivors. Improvements were found in fatigue, self-esteem, happiness, and other quality of life issues.2 ?Dr. Tetsuya Ohira, of the University of Minnesota, and colleagues released a study in 2006 which found that twice-weekly exercise improved the overall physical and emotional condition of cancer patients. This was the first study to look specifically at weight training regimens and quality of life. The authors concluded that improvements in body composition and strength may empower breast cancer survivors with "a sense of return to feeling in control of their bodies that may translate into feeling greater efficacy in other areas of life."3 Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that weight training improved quality of life and helped breast cancer survivors feel better about their bodies. The improvements were achieved regardless of how much strength was gained. That same study, from 2009, found benefits from a gradually progressive weight training program for survivors with lymphedema.4
Researchers also began to look at whether exercise can effect overall outcomes - as in survival. Results from the Nurses Health Study, released in 2005, found a reduction of the risk of recurrence by as much as 40-50% for those women taking part in regular, moderate exercise (2.5 hours per week of easy activity like walking). The results were best for hormone-receptive breast cancers, and those of higher stages, but benefits were found overall.5
In another study, carried out by Dr. Melinda Irwin and colleagues, women with a breast cancer diagnosis who met the recommended activity guidelines of?2.5 hours per week?of moderate to vigorous activity reduced their risk of death by 67% compared to women who were inactive. Women taking part in any moderate-intensity activity reduced their risk of death by 64%.6
Based on the strength of the evidence from her study and numerous other studies on exercise, Dr. Irwin recommended at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Cancer Researchers (AACR) that all oncologists should talk to all of their patients about exercise.7
And earlier this year, the British Medical Journal published a meta-analysis of 34 existing studies of exercise and breast cancer. Clinically important benefits were found for breast cancer survivors who exercise. Improvements were seen in body composition, physical function, psychological outcomes, and quality of life.8
These are just a handful of the existing studies. Exercise is well-proven to improve quality of life as well as disease outcome for breast cancer survivors. The evidence is strongest for hormone receptive cancers, but benefits exist for all.
Unfortunately, studies have also shown that most breast cancer survivors do not exercise. A Canadian study found that just over 20% of cancer survivors were physically active, with the worst levels found among breast cancer survivors.9 And in the comment section following the Nurses' Study, the authors wrote this, "It has been estimated that women decrease their levels of physical activity by 2 hours per week after a breast cancer diagnosis, with greater decreases among obese women,?and that less than one third of breast cancer survivors participate in levels of activity recommended by government agencies."10
Julie
Source: http://fitnessforsurvivors.blogspot.com/2012/08/bcsm-tweetchat-exercise-breast-cancer.html
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