ENCORE #26! – Exercise – HOW THE FREAK IS IT A MIRACULOUS CURE FOR CANCER?????

From the first moment my wife discovered she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…That was four years ago – as time passed, people searching for answers stumbled across my blog and checked out what I had to say. The following entry appeared on March 3, 2012…

I’ve talked about this subject before, but it’s one that doesn’t seem to yield to mere discussion:

http://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2011/05/husbanding-bigger-middle.html

http://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-exercise-hints-for-cancer-folk-and.html

http://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2012/01/guest-post-david-haas-fight-cancer-with.html

As of this moment, I still alternately loathe exercise and acknowledge its importance. Even acknowledging its importance, I rarely do it. And to tell you the truth, I’m completely unsure about the connection between exercise and avoiding or helping cure cancer. So I decided to do some research and was surprised by what I found – or more precisely what I DIDN’T find. I didn’t find a clear explanation of the biological mechanisms connecting exercise and cancer survivorship.

I am ALWAYS leery when “researchers” make broad, sweeping, seemingly miraculous claims about anything – like those constantly irritating little “do this one weird fact” ads promise. In this article, identical statements are made but completely unsupported: “Researchers have established that regular physical activity can improve health by helping to control weight, maintaining healthy bones, muscles, and joints, reducing the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes, promoting psychological well-being, and reducing the risk of death from heart disease, reducing the risk of premature death. In addition to these health benefits, researchers are learning that physical activity can also affect the risk of cancer. There is convincing evidence that physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of cancers of the colon and breast. Several studies also have reported links between physical activity and a reduced risk of cancers of the prostate, lung, and lining of the uterus (endometrial cancer). Despite these health benefits, recent studies have shown that more than 50 percent of Americans do not engage in enough regular physical activity...”

There you have it: wild claims of miraculous health benefits and a sad lamentation that half of us are lazy slobs. How helpful! The fact is that beyond the hyperbole fostered by the Nordic Track (and its ilk) INDUSTRY, there are buried some real facts. It took me quite a bit of time to ferret these out and once I was done I realized I’ll be doing an article for EACH of the ten things below. I’ll start next Saturday, so for now, I leave you with these to ponder: 

1. Exercise may prevent tumor development by lowering hormone levels, (particularly in premenopausal women), as well as lowering levels of insulin and insulin-like growth factor
2. A home-based physical activity program had a beneficial effect on the fitness and psychological well-being of previously sedentary women who had completed treatment for early-stage through stage II breast cancer. Increasing physical activity may influence insulin and leptin levels and influence breast cancer prognosis.
3. Physical activity may decrease risk for various cancers by several mechanisms, including decreasing sex hormones
4. Physical activity may decrease risk for various cancers by several mechanisms including reducing metabolic hormones and inflammation
5. Physical activity may decrease risk for various cancers by improving immune function
6. Studies in postmenopausal women indicate that physical activity might affect postmenopausal breast cancer and endometrial cancer risk by reducing body fat, thereby lowering circulating levels of estrogens and androgens
7. Insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia, hyperglycaemia and type 2 diabetes have been linked to increased risk of breast, colon, pancreas and endometrial cancers. Physical activity improves insulin resistance, reduces hyperinsulinaemia and reduces risk for diabetes, which could explain the link between increased physical activity and reduced risk for these cancers
8. Increased levels of pro-inflammatory factors and decreased levels of anti-inflammatory factors have been linked with increased cancer risk. Physical activity might reduce systemic inflammation alone or in combination with reduction in body weight or composition through reducing inflammatory cytokines in adipose tissue.
9. Physical activity appears to enhance proliferation of lymphocytes, increases the number of natural killer cells and increases lymphokine-activated killer cells activity.
10. “The complicated nature of the physical activity variable, combined with lack of knowledge regarding possible biological mechanisms operating between physical activity and cancer, warrants further studies including controlled clinical randomized trials.”

References: http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfje/5230/cancer-ex-Thune-01.pdf, http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/physicalactivity, http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/545870_2
Image: http://voluume.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Encore-Sessions.jpg

BREAST CANCER RESEARCH RIGHT NOW! #40: After Tamoxifen and Anastrazole…

From the first moment my wife discovered she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…

Every month, I’ll be highlighting breast cancer research that is going on RIGHT NOW! Harvested from different websites, journals and podcasts, I’ll translate them into understandable English and share them with you. Today: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151211132333.htm

My wife is coming up on FIVE YEARS post-mastectomy; five months later will be five years post chemotherapy.

This article compares the after-effects of two cancer drugs my wife took: tamoxifen (http://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2015/03/encore-8-take-tamoxifen-for-ten-years.html) and anastrazole (http://breastcancerreaper.blogspot.com/2011/12/next-five-years-anastrazole-whats-it-do.html).

In it, the research team discovered that “although both drugs were safe and effective, and had no detrimental effect on overall quality of life, there were some differences in the type and severity of symptoms the women experienced with each treatment, and these especially differed by age.”

The differences they say, are in the details. So what does this mean?

In women under 60, “tamoxifen [patients] complained of more severe hot flashes” as for  those taking anastrozole, they found that they had “greater severity of vaginal dryness and muscle and joint pains; hot flashes, weight problems, vaginal symptoms and gynecological symptoms”

Neither drug had any significant  negative effect on women over 60; and overall, “The research also indicated that symptoms such as depression and fatigue were no different in comparison between the two drugs and did not increase in patients during the five years of treatment.” Of course, this implies that depression and fatigue are going to be common factors in post-treatment women, no matter their age.

Drug treatment for women with breast cancer is going to be brutal. However, this study simply shows that doctors need to choose wisely when prescribing the drug to patients of different ages. Better still, PATIENTS in-the-know can make sure that their providers are making the best choices for them.

Image: http://breastcancernow.org/sites/default/files/public/styles/featured_image_large__870x489_/public/drugs.jpg?itok=pr3R1jeE

ENCORE #25! – 10 Exercise TIPS for Cancer Folk (and don’t forget the significant others!)

From the first moment my wife discovered she had breast cancer, there was a deafening silence from the men I know. Even ones whose wives, mothers or girlfriends had breast cancer seemed to have received a gag order from some Central Cancer Command and did little more than mumble about the experience. Not one to shut up for any known reason, I started this blog…That was four years ago – as time passed, people searching for answers stumbled across my blog and checked out what I had to say. The following entry appeared in January of 2012…

“You should just exercise! It will take away the stress! It will help you heal faster! Exercise will make you better!”

Cool.

Fine. Sign me up for the next Grandma’s Marathon! Running twenty-six miles should be good for at least one chemotherapy session, right?

Exercise…

What exactly does this mean? How do I turn “exercise is good for you” into something I can DO? Oh, and is the “exercise is good for you” mantra only for the loved one with cancer? What about me – who put on something over ten pounds during the chemo sessions and can’t seem to shake the weight now?

The answers to these questions a literally scattered all over the internet, so I’ll try and analyze and condense them here into TEN workable breast cancer treatment and after-treatment practical exercise tips (ALWAYS TALK TO OR CALL YOUR CANCER CARE CENTER BEFORE YOU START ANY KIND OF EXERCISE TO SEE IF IT’S SAFE FOR YOU):

1. “‘You don't have to be Lance Armstrong,’ stresses Dr. Julia Rowland of the National Cancer Institute, speaking from a survivorship meeting this month that highlighted exercise research. ‘Walk the dog, play a little golf.’” Walk the dog, walk to the end of the block, walk somewhere. Several people recommended finding a neighborhood indoor mall that opens early and walk the perimeter before the stores open. Walk!
2. “Researchers think exercising together may help both partners stick with it. They also are testing whether the shared activity improves both physical functioning and eases the strain that cancer puts on the caregiver and the marriage.” Walk with a loved one (in my case, ME! I should be walking and exercising WITH my wife. WALKING. Doing DANCE FEVER to an enjoyable music routine. Life weights – or cans of soup if you don’t have weights. A little weight lifted a number of times during a day counts as exercise! Hide the weight in your work locker or in a desk drawer – or leave it out and tell people what you’re doing. You will find a remarkable amount of support.
3. “For example, Schmitz led a major study that found careful weight training can protect against lymphedema, reversing years of advice to coddle the at-risk arm…” See #2 – lift anything! (By the way, this is called resistance training – the weight “resists” being lifted.)
4. “…at-home exercises with some muscle-strengthening, plus a better diet, could slow physical decline.” There are dozens of DVD exercise programs. If you can’t buy one, check one out from your local library or ask to borrow one from a local gym, YMCA or school. Do as much as you can, then stop. (See #1 above!) Also, lifting the DVD into the player is exercise! Here’s the address for a DVD specifically for breast cancer survivors: http://www.strengthandcourage.net/
5. Arms at your side, hold a towel in both hands. Using the unaffected arm, pull the other behind the back. Alternate Pain is to be respected and the stretch should be held to the point of discomfort not pain .The stretches should be held from 5-10 seconds at first, gradually increasing the length of time. It’s better to do this several times during the day, rather than all at once. With arms bent (on either side of the head), hold a towel in both hands. Using the unaffected arm, pull the other behind the head.
6. “If lymphedema is a concern, you…should be fitted with a sleeve which is worn while exercising especially when lifting weights. Progress…slowly and start with a light weight – ONE pound is just fine.”
7. Walking and cycling are quite beneficial as are swimming, cross training, or aerobics. It is best to begin with a 5-10 minute walk to judge...if a long period is too much, multiple shorter aerobic sessions are fine. Your goal will be to gradually increase the time period engaged in aerobic exercise and to slowly increase your exercise tolerance.
8. Doing yoga can provide flexibility benefits as well as instruction in stress reduction techniques that can prove beneficial. [I know nothing about yoga, so start with a library visit or a YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3vLZqPZxZE]
9. Yep, I’m sayin’ it again: “Walking, a common fitness choice, offers the benefits of aerobic exercise without overly straining the body. According to a 2005 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefits of walking peak when a breast cancer patient or survivor walks 3 to 5 hours weekly at a pace of 2 to 3 miles per hour.”
10. Find a swimming pool and join a waterobics class; if you can’t join a class, get this CD: http://www.maryessert.com/bcr.htm This site lists the exercises and exactly how to do them! 

References: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37978604/ns/health-cancer/t/get-moving-cancer-survivors-urged-exercise/#.TyPj4lxAb_M
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/BreastCancer/MoreInformation/exercises-after-breast-surgery
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/pdf/PA_Intensity_table_2_1.pdf (A really, really LONG list of things you can do to exercise!)http://www.afpafitness.com/articles/articles-and-newletters/research-articles-index/womens-fitness-health-issues/fitness-tips-for-working-with-breast-cancer-survivors/
Image: http://voluume.fr/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Encore-Sessions.jpg