Exercise can apparently lessen the rate of cancer cell growth and even help prevent its recurrence.

sandramj
sandramj Member Posts: 253
here's an article showing that exercise has a very positive effect on preventing and/or reducing breast cancer.  
It starts with:-  

Exercise can apparently lessen the rate of cancer cell growth and even help prevent its recurrence. And remarkably, it also lowers breast cancer risks for women.

It seems that a hormone, released even during short periods of mild to strenuous exercise, works in our favor.

That chemical is epinephrine (also known as adrenalin.) It is produced by the adrenal glands which perch atop our kidneys.

Epinephrine is often referred to as the “fight or flight” hormone. It plays a major role when we’re under physical or emotional stress.

In response to stress, the body sends a message to the brain to produce epinephrine. This hormone raises our heart rate to send off oxygenated blood to our muscles and brain to “pump us up” for whatever action is necessary. 

To read more follow this link :-

Please note the references at the end of the article  

https://www.findatopdoc.com/Women-s-Health/Exercise-and-Breast-Cancer-in-Women/Final-thoughts
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Comments

  • Deanne
    Deanne Member Posts: 2,163
    edited October 2017
    There have been numerous studies that seem to show the benefits of exercise in reducing not only the risk of breast cancer and recurrence of breast cancer, but a whole host of other health issues too.

    I find the greatest thing about exercise for me is the emotional/mental health benefits. I handle stressful situations much better if I keep up the exercise. I am pretty sure it also helps to minimise the side effects from treatment too. 

    I exercise far more than I used to and feel happier and stronger than I have in a long time (probably stronger than I have ever been actually  ;)).
  • primek
    primek Member Posts: 5,392
    Oh yes....lots if studies fir it. Troubke I have us since treatment I now struggke with exercise...took my 6 months to get to full time work! Pre treatment I exercised every day. I ecen managed 3 times a week on treatment in a pool. Now I struggle with a 20 minute walk. Can do it for a few days then crash for a week. 
  • iserbrown
    iserbrown Member Posts: 5,540
    @primek oh can so relate to your comments!
  • HIT
    HIT Member Posts: 261
    Oh yes, I get the walking done now compliments if buses - not really brisk though or I'll end up on the ground!!  But I'm a couch potato rest of the time - sweep the floor - sit down - make the bed - sit down - etc etc.  Find a cure for the neuropathy and tiredness why don't they...
  • InkPetal
    InkPetal Member Posts: 499
    @primek I feel that! I have 3 x 3 hour shifts a week and spend every other waking hour recovering from them :joy: 
  • sandramj
    sandramj Member Posts: 253
    After reading these comments I'm
    beginnimg to realise my tiredness is "part of the cancer treatment" or recovery. Normal. I wondered why I felt more tired now, at the 6 month mark, than at the end of radiation.  I push myself to do 3 Pilates sessions each week as prescribed by oncologist for bone strength but again my guilty conscious fights the want to have a nap once or maybe even twice a day.  The old shame issues around laziness vs genuine tiredness.  
    Can I ask if any of the other common denominators might be the anti-hormone treatment?  I'm taking Arianne to stop me making oestrogen/progesterone and have the common side effects like sweating (although my exercise people call it SPARKLES
  • InkPetal
    InkPetal Member Posts: 499
    @sandramj haha! "Sparkles"! I love it!
    On my last visit to my GP he asked me if I'd "ever heard of chronic fatigue?" and that I might have to make adjustments to my lifestyle to cope with it. I can't tell you whether it was the chemo or is the hormone therapy or a bit of both, but I wasn't like this pre-treatment. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I do suspect it has a lot to do with the estrogen blocker though, I honestly wasn't this tired even having just come from chemo going into rads. 

  • iserbrown
    iserbrown Member Posts: 5,540
    @inkpetal tiredness, fatigue, no energy, all of the above, doesn't it drive you nutty..............it just keeps giving but they don't tell you about this part!
  • sandramj
    sandramj Member Posts: 253
    @InkPetal. That was my discussion this morning with the breast surgeon and I popped in to see the lovely people who did the radiation and explained that to the nurses there. And mentioned that maybe they should tell patients of that delayed tiredness. Or maybe they did but I didn't want to hear it.
  • melclarity
    melclarity Member Posts: 3,502
    Well it is interesting isn't it, my Oncologist said it can take up to 2yrs to recover from treatment. I think exercise is great, but like others treatment has ruined me and I'm nowhere near where I was pre diagnosis/treatment. Begs to question though, how people who are fanatical about exercise still get it?? 

    Im 2yrs nearly post treatment now, and whilst alot better am along way from where I was and the fatigue is still there, and what Ive found no specialist wants to know about the implications post treatment, they honestly don't. Their job is to treat you only. So its really a combination of things, treatment, medications and for me an unnatural menopause LOL. I just keep pushing forward and know my limitations. I need to resume full time work but cringe knowing it will be extremely difficult and how on earth I'll manage. 


  • Cate64
    Cate64 Member Posts: 446
    I have to agree with the experts here. I find exercise helps - A LOT - I run on Saturdays (5km) & compete in running events regularly. My last being on the 8th October in the 15km Kokoda Challenge. My next being City2Sea November 12th.

    I certainly had to build my fitness but I pushed on & won over the tiredness. I do occasionally have an "I feel tired" day & dont do too much but I dont ever feel the need for a Nanna Nap. I work full time & did right thru Chemo. I refuse to give in to it & pushing on, building fitness has certainly worked for me. I feel better than I ever have.
  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,352
    I do think there is a big issue about restarting - exercise, work, lots of things. Like Cate64, I worked through treatment and I still think it was the best thing I could have dome. BUT I felt pretty good. I had no nausea, no fatigue, no chemo brain (warned my staff to tell me if I showed signs, which must have been tempting!!). I had bad peripheral neuropathy and a few weeks worry about it getting much worse, but it didn't. But many others could not have done that. Neither could I if I had been vomiting, was exhausted and could not think straight. I was never much of an exerciser, but once I had finished treatment, I signed myself up for a year at the gym (in advance,I know my backsliding capacity) and now it's simply a regular part of what I do. I could not have done this if I was still combatting fatigue, inching my way back into work or facing financial ruin. My big restart issue was about who I was - the active busy person who just ignored her age, or a damaged person with weird feet, bung arm and an irregular heartbeat. I was of course neither, but I needed some restart help in getting going. Would be interesting to know how other people got their restart - what worked and why?
  • Artferret
    Artferret Member Posts: 259
    There is a 3 month exercise trial being run by a lady called Prof Pru Cormie at ACU in Melbourne about to start some time in October 2017, maybe later, called Ex-Med Cancer. It's for anyone who's had any type of cancer, over the age of 18 and completed treatment within the previous one year (if you're currently on hormone treatment you are still eligible). If you want more details have a look on the anzctr.org.au website or just google Ex-Med cancer trial then you can ask your med team about it. Currently i do Pilates reformer once a week and also walk our dog everyday (it's hilly where i live) but would like to pick up a gym circuit involving more cardio and weight bearing. Still waiting on gene assay results to come through so further treatment can start with this other trial I've signed up for. Waiting, waiting, waiting..........
  • Deanne
    Deanne Member Posts: 2,163
    I think my restart @Afraser was suddenly deciding to do a 10km Walk for Breast Cancer. It was way beyond what I had been doing in my recovery (no more than 3km up until then) but I started doing 2 walks a day from that moment onwards (a 2km morning walk and a 3km evening one). I was motivated to complete the 10km so that got me going. I did the 10km and did not even feel sore the next day!

    That helped me to realise that exercise gave me energy, it did not leave me depleated at all. The more I did the better I felt. It was onwards and upwards from that point. xxx
  • Fiona2
    Fiona2 Member Posts: 69
    I've gotta say that I relate in both directions to the discussion.  Exercise has been fantastically helpful to me through my treatment and recovery in helping to feel strong, optimistic and involved in life.  It has been helped by living so close to bike paths so I've been able to get out on the bike a few times a week. The bike is great in that it's both strength and aerobic building but not too stressful  to my rather tender post surgery/radio breast and shoulder region.  However,  I do struggle with the mental fatigue and can't believe how exhausting it is to front up to work for even just a few hours every week.  I'm also known to have fallen asleep on the train on the way home on a few occasions.  I think the post-radio fatigue is a lot more persistent than I had expected.  And despite exercising a lot and having had a very positive clinical course,  I've been knocked very flat with depression, just when things should be brightening up for me but maybe I'll write about that in another post....maybe start my own thread and invite comments from others about their experiences