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Exercise can counter detrimental effects of cancer treatment, review suggests
Medical Xpress / British Medical Journal / British Journal of Sports Medicine ^ | April 29, 2025 | Xue-Li Bai et al

Posted on 05/16/2025 9:06:23 AM PDT by ConservativeMind

Exercise can counter the detrimental effects of cancer treatment, such as heart and nerve damage and brain fog, suggests an overarching review.

Exercise also seems to boost psychological well-being and overall quality of life, say the researchers.

The researchers carried out an umbrella review of the existing pooled data analyses of randomized controlled trial results, published between 2012 and July 2024.

The review included 485 associations from 80 articles, all evaluated as being of moderate to high quality.

Among these associations, the types of exercise of any length, intensity, and duration included mind-body (138, 28.5%), such as Qigong, tai chi, and yoga; aerobic and resistance exercise (48, 10%), high intensity interval training (HIIT) (18, 4%); and other types (281, 59%).

These associations were explored in people with cancers of the breast (244, 50%), digestive system (20, 4%), blood (13, 3%), lung (47, 10%), prostate (12, 2.5%) plus others (149, 31%).

In all, 260 (54%) associations were statistically significant, and 81 (17%) and 152 (31%), respectively, were supported by high and moderate certainty evidence, according to GRADE criteria—used to assess the certainty of scientific evidence.

Exercise significantly reduced various side effects associated with cancer and its treatment compared with usual care or no exercise. For example, it lessened heart and peripheral nerve damage associated with chemotherapy, brain fog (cognitive impairment), and shortness of breath (dyspnea).

It also changed body composition and key physiological indicators of health, such as insulin, insulin-like growth factor, and C-reactive protein in people with cancer. And it improved sleep quality, psychological well-being, the normal workings of the body, and social interaction, while boosting overall quality of life.

And there was evidence of high to moderate certainty that preoperative exercise reduced the risk of postoperative complications, pain, length of hospital stay, and risk of death.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: cancer; exercise; treatment
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To: sheana

The cancer makes you feel like hell. The chemo makes you tired. We are going for radiation next. Who knows what that will make him feel like?


21 posted on 05/16/2025 12:38:25 PM PDT by yldstrk (Nothing like the truth)
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To: yldstrk

I did both. Chemo then radiation. The chemo made me feel like hell and the radiation burned me bad. After about 6 months when I finally started feeling better my doc said...well, would you do it again? I said...you tried to kill me but it didn’t work. He thought that was pretty funny. lol


22 posted on 05/16/2025 1:31:05 PM PDT by sheana
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To: silent majority rising
But at least he was a “success for the Doctors stats - he lived 5 years.

It was his choice to do chemo and have those 5 years. It was his choice to do unnecessary BP medicine or statins or anything else they say is "protocol". You have to be VERY careful dealing with doctors. They follow a flow chart and we are just a number. A person has to do their own research and be their own advocate.

I've witnessed some severe malpractice but never filed suit because it wasn't worth the stress. I think some doctors have brain fog so bad they don't know what they're doing at times. Maybe they're stressed or something.

23 posted on 05/16/2025 2:06:51 PM PDT by BipolarBob (AA told me to quit hanging around drunks. So I quit going to AA, cuz that's where they were.)
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To: sheana

My wife had chemo/radiation. It was bad. She looked near death but went through it. It cured her cervical cancer 15 years ago. Now she just discovered she has a hole in her bladder thanks to the radiation. She’ll have surgery to repair that but she’s had the 15 years of life that otherwise she wouldn’t have had.


24 posted on 05/16/2025 2:09:54 PM PDT by BipolarBob (AA told me to quit hanging around drunks. So I quit going to AA, cuz that's where they were.)
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To: BipolarBob

Mine was stage 2 Her2 breast cancer. Cancer free for 17 years now. Tell her congrats for me!


25 posted on 05/16/2025 2:13:27 PM PDT by sheana
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To: sheana

She had stage 3B but now cancer free for 15 years. Congrats to all survivors. Unfortunately one of her friends chose not to do chemo/radiation because she thought it would be too much and didn’t last long. Life is hard sometimes. I hate cancer. It’s taken many of my friends.


26 posted on 05/16/2025 2:26:40 PM PDT by BipolarBob (AA told me to quit hanging around drunks. So I quit going to AA, cuz that's where they were.)
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To: ConservativeMind
Exercise counters everything bad.

Even walking. Get an iPod, download your favorite music or podcasts, and get going.

27 posted on 05/16/2025 2:55:08 PM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: fwdude

If you consume meat and have more iron than you need, bloodletting reduces iron and it’s beneficial. You can use blood ferritin to estimate how much stored iron you have. If blood ferritin is more than 100 ng/ml, the person usually has more iron than they need and would benefit from donating blood or bloodletting.


28 posted on 05/16/2025 2:58:00 PM PDT by TTFX
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To: BipolarBob

My Mom did the same thing. Said chemo killed people and refused it.


29 posted on 05/16/2025 4:28:54 PM PDT by sheana
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To: fwdude
I was very careful to limit my comment to personal knowledge.

And then you threw your caution to the wind by saying, "It only makes you sicker as you die. Modern medicine is no better than Medieval leeches and blood-letting."

Who is the "you" in your sweeping condemnation, Grasshopper?

30 posted on 05/17/2025 4:42:35 PM PDT by NautiNurse
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