Exercise a ‘wonder drug’ for cancer

EXERCISE is a “wonder drug” for cancer survivors and may even prevent the disease coming back, according to a report.

Macmillan Cancer Support said physical activity should be prescribed by doctors after “hard evidence” showed it can significantly help recovery and prevent other long-term illnesses.

Rather than patients being told to rest, as in the past, doctors must encourage people to get moving as soon as they feel able.

A review of more than 60 studies for the charity found people undergoing treatment for cancer — as well as survivors — could benefit from exercise.

During treatment, being active does not worsen people’s fatigue and has positive effects on mood and wellbeing, the study said.

Once treatment has finished, exercise can reduce the impact of side effects, such as swelling around the arm, anxiety, depression, fatigue, impaired mobility and changes to weight.

“Long term, it is an effective way to help recover physical function, manage fatigue, improve quality of life and mental health, and control body weight,” the report said.

The research also showed exercise had an impact on preventing recurrence of a few specific cancers.

Women with breast cancer who exercise for 150 minutes a week at moderate intensity have more than a 40% lower risk of dying and recurrence of disease compared to women who are active for less than one hour a week.

Results of two studies on bowel cancer also show the risk of death or of the disease coming back is cut by about 50% in patients taking six hours a week of moderate intensity exercise.

Furthermore, prostate cancer patients have around a 30% lower risk of dying from the disease and a 57% lower rate of disease progression if they do three hours of moderate intensity exercise a week.

Oncologist Jane Maher, chief medical officer with Macmillan Cancer Support in Britain, said patients have traditionally been told to rest up.

“The advice that I would have previously given to one of my patients would have been to take it easy,” she said.

“This has now changed significantly because of the recognition that if physical exercise were a drug, it would be hitting the headlines. There really needs to be a cultural change, so that health professionals see physical activity as an integral part of cancer aftercare, not just an optional add-on,” she added.