Whether it is playing a hectic game of soccer, swimming, or even a leisurely walk around the block, studies have found a possible remedy for prolonging life for women who have survived breast cancer.
The Susan B. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation is one of largest cancer research centres in America. Dr Cheryl Perkins, a senior clinical advisor at the Foundation, believes that exercise may be a key component in fighting the recurrence of cancer. "Exercise empowers these women with a tool that's there at their disposal," she said.
A study involving over 2,100 women was carried out earlier this year and found that even something as innocuous as a gentle half-hour walk could decrease the chance of cancer recurring by 25% to 50%.
According to Dr Perkins, it's beneficial to exercise more. "The benefit correlates with the amount of exercise. So, the more exercise, the better the chances of survival." Despite these positive findings, the reasons behind these correlations are relatively unknown.
A possible reason for a decrease in the recurrence of breast cancer due to exercise could be as simple as weight loss. "One of the biological theories as to why exercise might be a good tool for reducing risk or in prevention is that it might reduce obesity, and obesity is known to increase circulating estrogen," Perkins said. A number of studies have linked high estrogen levels to the onset of breast cancer and its recurrence.
The Director of Breast and Gynaecologic Cancer for the American Cancer Society suggests that additional factors may also be playing an important role in decreasing the risk of disease. "We know that physical activity acts directly and indirectly," she said. "The risk of other cancers, such as colon, endometrium, kidney and oesophagus, was lowered as a result of exercise."
However, exercise may not be for everyone. Women in the middle of chemotherapy should consult with their physician before embarking on any exercise regimen. "Some chemotherapy medications affect cardiac function and some affect bone density - especially in older women, as you might already have bone density problems," Dr Perkins said.
It is definitely a 'horses for courses' approach as certain types of cancer will dictate the type of activity or exercise a patient can do. For example, patients who experience lymphedema, a treatment-related swelling of the underarm lymph nodes, should refrain from placing any strain on their arms or performing any demanding arm movement. "Because of the risk of lymphedema, we do not recommend that patients engage in really heavy weightlifting, for example," Saslow said.
Despite this, most women who have completed the active-treatment stage can, and should, exercise as much as possible. "There's no limit as far as the capacity to do vigorous exercise," Saslow said.
Additionally, there's the whole healthy mind, healthy body aspect. As Dr. Perkins says, "It simply increases your sense of wellness. It helps increase your stamina in the long-run. It's good on a lot of levels."
Dr Perkins is well qualified in this matter, because she is a long-term survivor herself and tributes exercise as a mainstay in her fight against cancer. "I've always been physically active, and get out every day. I have two wirehaired fox terriers and they move a lot. That's two good reasons why, even when I don't want to, I get moving. It also makes me feel better," she said.
Perhaps then, it is appropriate that the annual "Race for the Cure" is sponsored by the Komen Foundation. "Race for the Cure" is run, as it were, right across America, encouraging breast cancer survivors and their loved ones to participate, in a bid to raise awareness and money for research.
"The race is the visual symbol of all this," Perkins said. "There's a lot we don't know about breast cancer - what causes it, what increases your risk and what doesn't," she said. "But exercise is something a woman can do, and evidence is mounting that it's something that decreases risk and may make a real difference in survival."
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