Most people understand the difficulty of committing a new workout plan, but consider the obstacles a mesothelioma survivor must overcome to stay fit during and after treatment.
When you ?? re suffering from constant fatigue and difficulty breathing even at rest, motivate you to begin a difficult exercise routine is probably the least of your worries.
Although it may seem better for patients to limit physical activity and rest as much as possible ?? that physicians once recommended ?? a growing body of evidence suggests otherwise: exercise training can have a wide range of interesting advantages for cancer survivors
Research shows a structured exercise routine is not only safe and feasible in during treatment, but it can actually help reduce. fatigue caused by the effects of cancer or side of chemotherapy and other treatments. In addition, staying active can improve physical function and help control a variety of factors that diminish the quality of life of a cancer patient ?? s.
"Moderate exercise has been shown to improve fatigue (extreme tiredness), anxiety and self-esteem," the website of the American Cancer Society shows. "It also helps the heart fitness and blood vessels, muscle strength and body composition (how much of your body is composed of fat, bones or muscles). ??
Improving the quality of life ?? s of the patient, or general welfare, is often the primary goal of treatment of mesothelioma. The cancer is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage when potentially curative treatments are no longer effective.
Although an increasing number of cancer care teams now urges patients to stay as active as possible throughout the treatment, each type of cancer has a unique set of challenges doctors should consider before recommending an exercise routine.
No exercise program for mesothelioma proven
strong evidence of research confirms physical activity can improve the health of people with cancers of the breast, prostate, colon and ovarian cancer. However, the benefits of exercise for mesothelioma survivors are less clear. Researchers have yet to create a proven fitness program to improve the lives of this group of patients.
In the next three-year study, an Australian research team hopes to resolve this problem by developing a workout plan specifically tailored to pleural mesothelioma survivors. The purpose of the survey is to confirm the exercise can improve these patients ?? quality of life and relieve symptoms of common mesothelioma as shortness of breath, muscle loss and fatigue.
?? I believe that the exercise could have a positive impact on the lives of these patients, ?? Dr. Carolyn McIntyre, a postdoctoral researcher at Edith Cowan University, said Asbestos.com. ?? He ?? s never been done before we know it ?? is very exciting to try a new approach to improve the outcomes.??[1945002patiente]
The Cancer Council of Western Australia funded the McIntyre research with a $ 225,000 research grant. His collaborators on the project include Professor Rob Newton, an expert in exercise as a drug for cancer; and Professor Gary Lee, an internationally recognized authority on mesothelioma and other pleural diseases.
Study in early planning stage
There is little information available about the study, which will run from 2015 to 2017. At present, McIntyre and colleagues provide for the study and approval of an ethics committee.
They expect include a relatively short exercise program, ranging from six to eight weeks. Patients will conduct supervised exercises two to three times per week during this period.
?? We believe that, by taking part in an exercise program, participants will notice improvements in the various aspects of quality of life, including physical functioning, role functioning, and physical well-being, ?? McIntyre said.
It also provides for the exercise will reduce the burden of the symptoms of common mesothelioma such as fatigue and shortness of breath during activity. ?? So far the mesothelioma patients have been very receptive to the idea, ?? she says.
McIntyre Context ?? Exercise in research
Although this is the first time McIntyre ?? working with mesothelioma patients, she has conducted several studies that explored the benefits of exercise for lymphoma survivors, prostate cancer and lung cancer.
In 2011, she co-wrote a paper that determined the progressive training exercise strength of product (READY) is a possible intervention for lung cancer survivors with potential health benefits .
READY requires patients to perform a small number of repetitions until fatigue. over time, the patient strengthens, resistance training or the amount of weight lifted is increased gradually, with sufficient rest between exercises to allow time for recovery
The advantages READY for cancer patients include :.
- improved muscle strength and endurance
- Improved physical functioning
- increased mobility
- improved cardiovascular health
- improved body composition
- increased bone density
READY doctors often use to increase the strength of the weak or injured muscles. About half of all cancer patients suffer from cachexia, a condition marked by fatigue and significant weight loss and muscle mass.
Results of the lung cancer study
People who participated in the McIntyre lung ?? cancer study saw significant improvements after 10 weeks and only 28 sessions. The upper body muscle strength increased by 42 percent, while muscle strength in the lower body improved 51 percent.
In addition, muscular endurance for the upper and lower bodies has increased by 150 percent and 180 percent, respectively. The authors said these improvements that allowed patients to perform more physically demanding activities over a longer period of time.
Exercises in the program included chest press, seated row, leg press, shoulder press, leg extension and abdominal exercise. Patients also used a respiratory training device called PowerLung to condition the chest muscles that support breathing.
Although mesothelioma study will not use the same exercises as the study of lung cancer, McIntyre said he will incorporate some form of resistance training in order to improve strength and physical functioning.
?? the amazing thing is that READY is very effective and can be adapted to meet the needs and requirements of most patients, ?? she says.
Planning an exercise program
Although the results of the study of mesothelioma won ?? t be published for several years, patients should ?? t wait to start an exercise program and start working to improve their quality of life.
Regardless of your diagnosis, always talk with your doctor before beginning any type of exercise. Your cancer type, stage, treatment or the overall level of strength and fitness may limit your ability to work.
Follow your doctor's advice ?? s close, and don ?? t be afraid to start slowly. Even low-intensity activity such as slow, short walks can help improve your health. Perform an activity until your body tells you that ?? s time to rest and take short breaks throughout as necessary.
As your strength improves, try adding light weights or resistance bands to your routine to help maintain lean muscle mass and bone strength. If possible, include exercises that work large muscle groups such as your chest, back, thighs and abdomen. Research shows aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming and cycling, can reduce fatigue and help you perform daily activities without complications.
If you ?? re a survivor of mesothelioma living in Australia, to consider the application of the next study period. The rarity of this cancer makes recruiting participants a challenge, and the researchers hope to develop a program that will benefit patients through various stages of cancer progression.
McIntyre says this research "will always be difficult, but that ?? s also what makes it exciting."
