Exercise called "wonder drug" for cancer patients:What can it do?

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(CBS) The latest "wonder drug" for cancer isn't a drug at all - but exercise. That's what a British cancer charity had to say in a new report detailing the benefits of exercise for cancer patients.

"Cancer patients would be shocked if they knew just how much of a benefit physical activity could have on their recovery and long term health," Ciaran Devane, chief executive of Macmillan Cancer Support, said in a written statement.

Macmillan's "Move More" report looked at 60 studies and surveyed over 400 health professionals to show how important exercise was to cancer treatment.

The report said doing recommended levels of 150 minutes per week could reduce a breast cancer patient's risk of recurrence or dying by 40 percent and a prostate cancer patient's risk of dying by 30 percent. Exercise also helps curtail side effects like fatigue, depression, osteoporosis, and heart disease for all cancer patients. More physical activity can also reduce the risk of colon cancer by as much as 50 percent, the report said.

"'It doesn't need to be anything too strenuous, doing the gardening, going for a brisk walk or a swim all count," Devane said.

Macmillan's chief medical officer, oncologist Dr. Jane Maher, said in a written statement that health care professionals need to undergo a "cultural change" and make exercise an integral part of cancer care. The report found over half of general practitioners, oncologists, and nurses don't tell their patients the benefits of physical exercise. Maher once counted herself as one of these uninformed physicians.

"The advice that I would have previously have given to one of my patients would have been to 'take it easy'," Maher said. "This has now changed significantly."

Over 11 million Americans have cancer in the U.S. The American Cancer Society also recommends maintaining an active lifestyle to reduce cancer risk.

To learn more about how staying fit could fight cancer, visit the American Cancer Society website.

[writerchick]

If you are facing cancer, exercise is crucial. I always welcome seeing more press about this topic. There are also some good new books on the subject of being activeagainstcancer if anyone is needing more detailed information about exactly what to do. I was able to use exercise when I was in cancer treatment, and the phrase "wonder drug" seems accurate to me.

[jerrichocotheri]

I have recently finished chemotherapy and radiotherapy and I absolutely agree with saying you should exercise. Yes, the treatment and trying to do everyday things is hard work and exhausting, I made myself go out for a walk of at least 45 minutes almost every day (even when I felt dreadful and had to drag myself round) I would certainly say it has paid off and helped me to cope with the treatment.

Jerricho Cothery
Findrxonline.com

[PorQue80]

If exercise were a drug everyone would want to take it. Imagine a drug that can help prevent heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, depression and some types of cancer. The same drug could treat all of these conditions and improve the quality of life for those who already have them. Who wouldn't want to take that drug? Apparently most Americans. Most of the benefits of exercise have been known for quite a while, but the obesity epidemic shows that we are not getting the message.

[tmittelstaed]

Rubbish. I've had (and survived) cancer - 4 rounds of chemo. Exercise may be great BEFORE you get cancer and AFTER it's eradicated and your recovering but not DURING chemo, there is no way your body has the energy to exercise. All available energy your body has goes to fighting the cancer.

[RickCain4150]

Exercise is great for many diseases. I avoided an expensive and life-changing operation by simply exercising daily and losing weight. I'm halfway there and have 15 more pounds to go. Diet is 90% of bad health.

[foo8259]

The best lifestyle way to fight most cancers is low-carb high-fat diet and higher calories. Research shows that most cancers, lacking fully-functional mitochondria, need sugar/starch to grow. Patrick Swayze was on a similar high-fat diet plan and lasted much longer than expected.

[foo8259]

Humph ... I guess that just goes to show exercise doesn't help that much with weight loss since most cancer patients fight that issue of keeping their weight up.

[billpl-2009]

that's because when you get cancer
your body finally does what most people refuse to do

...lose weight

[foo8259]

Yes, cancer patients lose weight because the cancer [most cancers] secrete growth and other hormones that speed up the metabolism so you need more calories. Calories from fat feed the body, but not the cancer that requires 'Dirty Glycolysis.' Goggle the "Warburg Effect."

[parisdakar]

Exercise is good for you...Ya think?

[vpcharan]

Exercise makes perfect sense to combat cancer and overall physical fitness. Exercise induces oxidative stress by generating Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). High level of ROS bursts tend to kill cancer cells. It is important not to take exogenous antioxidants, which scavenges (inactivates) ROS, immediately prior to and couple of hours following exercise.

[jmarklane]

What the heck is a ... um, exogenous antioxidant?

[Montana5]

vpcharan-This is just fascinating advice....is it possible to get this in English?