Exercise for Cancer Survivors

We all know by now that having an exercise routine helps to keep us healthy. Regular activity can reduce our weight by burning fat and building lean muscle, decrease stress levels, and encourage healthy operation of our bodies' cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and nervous systems... all components to a cancer-preventing lifestyle, according to a variety of research studies.

In addition to the cancer prevention benefits of exercise, it has been found to be beneficial to those already dealing with the disease. In two recent studies reported by MedpageToday.com, participation in at least twelve weeks of exercise was associated with significant improvement in overall health-related quality of life for cancer patients and survivors.

In a study of survivors, the researchers were looking at physical activity that included strength training, resistance training, walking, cycling, yoga, Qigong, or Tai Chi. They found that exercise had a positive impact on both overall health-related quality of life and more specific emotional well-being areas such as body image, anxiety, fatigue and self-esteem.

In the other study, which included only current patients, the results were similar to those seen in the survivor study, with improved overall health-related quality of life being reported at twelve weeks. According to the researchers quoted in the MedpageToday.com article, effects of exercise were more pronounced with moderate or vigorous intensity workouts than with mild exercise programs.

The American Cancer Society provides tips on exercising while undergoing cancer treatment, and we're sharing a few here. Visit their site for more information.

First, you should always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program. This is especially important if your treatments can affect your lungs (such as the drug bleomycin or radiation to the chest), your heart (such as the drugs doxorubicin or epirubicin), or if you are at risk for lung or heart disease.

• Your cancer care team will check your blood counts during your treatment. Ask them about your counts and if it's OK for you to exercise. Do not exercise if you a low red blood cell count (anemia).
• If you have low white blood cell counts or if you take medicines that make you less able to fight infection, stay away from public gyms and other public places until your counts are at safe levels.
• If you are dealing with fatigue brought on by treatment and don't feel up to exercising you can try to do 10 minutes of stretching exercises each day instead.
• Do not use heavy weights or do exercise that puts too much stress on your bones if you have osteoporosis, cancer that has spread to the bone, arthritis, nerve damage, poor vision, poor balance, or weakness. You may be more likely to injure yourself or break a bone.
• If you have numbness in your feet or problems with balance, you are at higher risk for falls. You might do better with a stationary reclining bicycle, for example, than a treadmill.
• Watch for swollen ankles, unexplained weight gain, or shortness of breath while at rest or with a small amount of exertion. Let your doctor know if you have any of these problems.
• To avoid irritation, don't expose skin that has had radiation to the chlorine in swimming pools.
• Do not exercise above a moderate level of exertion without talking with your doctor. Remember, moderate exertion is about as much effort as a brisk walk.
• If you still have a catheter (tube that goes into your body), avoid water and other exposures that may cause infections. Also, avoid resistance training that uses muscles in the area of the catheter to avoid dislodging it. Talk with your cancer team about what is safe for you.

 What are some tips you learned from your own experience with exercise during treatment? Was it beneficial for you? Anything you would suggest to help others be successful?

Recognizing our Sponsors

Our annual gala, the Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction Fashion Show is just around the corner! If you haven't purchased your tickets or table yet, you should definitely put it on your list of "to-dos" - our tables are selling fast.

We're thrilled to have the design talent of local artist, Matt Miller, assisting us with a painting that will be used for our theme at the event. We will also be auctioning off the one-of-a-kind piece he's creating in our live auction that evening. To keep up with all of our auction items and other information about the event, be sure to follow the Gentlemen of Distinction Facebook page.

As with any non-profit organization putting on a fundraising gala, we can't do it without the support of local businesses and individuals who sponsor our efforts with their cash or in-kind donations. We hope you'll join us in thanking the following businesses for their support of this year's event.

        

   

        

 Bank of Arkansas

Regions Bank

Walker & Associates Realtors, Inc.

Signature Bank of Arkansas

Collier's International

Davis, Clark, Butt, Carithers & Taylor, PLC

Design Works/NWA Events Online

Hull Dermatology & Aesthetics

Head Country BBQ

Employees of J.B. Hunt

MailCo USA, Inc.

Philip & Mary Ann Taldo

Nestle - Dreyer's Ice Cream

Bedford's Camera & Video 

Johanson Group

Media Sponsors:

       

3W Magazine

KNWA

NWA Media

Vertical Magazine

Cancers on the Rise

As we have shared with you in the past, the incidence rates of many cancers have been on the decline in recent years. This is the result of many behavioral and environmental changes that individuals have been making, and policies that our government has instituted that have cleaned up the air we breathe and the land we live on. However, there are still some cancers that are on the rise, and in an effort to keep you well-informed, we want to share some information about them with you. All of the following information is available from the American Cancer Society via their Cancer Facts & Figures 2012 publication.

Kidney and Renal Cancer       

Between 1999-2008, kidney cancer rates significantly increased for men and women of every race/ethnicity except American Indian or Alaska Native men, for every age group, and most dramatically for localized tumors from 7.6 (per 100,000) in 1999 to 12.2 in 2008. Research suggested that the trend may be due to an increase in imaging procedures such as ultrasound, computed tomography and MRI, which detect early stage cancers that may have been undiagnosed in previous study periods.

Rates during 2004-2008 were 2 times higher for men than women, and highest for African American and American Indian and Alaska Native men, perhaps reflecting the higher rates of obesity in these groups of individuals.

Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for both kidney and renal cancers, but is most strongly associated with renal pelvis cancer. Risk of kidney cancer increases with both quantity and duration of smoking, and accounts for approximately 20-30% of cases among men and approximately 10-20% of cases among women. For cancer of the renal pelvis, smoking accounts for approximately 70-82% of cases among men and approximately 37-61% of cases among women.

Obesity increases risk of kidney cancer, and accounts for 30-40% of cases. High blood pressure is also shown as a risk of kidney cancer, and there are inherited forms of the disease that account for a small fraction of cases.

Prevention techniques include stopping the use of tobacco products, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding high blood pressure (through diet and exercise) and treating existing high blood pressure.

For more information about kidney and renal cancer, including symptoms and treatment information, visit the Mayo Clinic page.

Esophageal Adenocarcinoma       

Overall, the incidence rates of esophageal adenocarcinoma have shown declines, but while African American males have traditionally been more likely to be diagnosed with this type of cancer, there has been an increase in non-Hispanic white men to be diagnosed in recent years. Although the two most common types of esophageal cancer are related to smoking, only one of them (squamous cell carcinoma) has shown a decline that corresponds with decreased smoking rates. So, what's going on with the other one - adenocarcinoma?

Obesity is associated with a 16-fold increased risk of this type of cancer. Obesity is also associated with gastroesophageal reflux and Barrett's esophagus, which can progress to esophageal adenocarcinoma. Rates for this kind of cancer increased significantly among white men (1.8% per year), white women (2.1% per year), and Hispanic men (2.8% per year) during 1999-2008. These increasing trends coincide with rises in obesity and gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Maintaining healthy body weight may reduce the risk for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease with proton-pump inhibitors, which reduces gastric acid, thereby slowing or preventing the development of Barrett's esophagus, may also lower risk, although the most effective regimen to reduce cancer risk in these patients is not known. Medical surveillance for people diagnosed with Barrett's esophagus may also be beneficial; however, the timing and frequency of such screening is unclear.

More information on esophageal cancers can be found on the Mayo Clinic website.

2012 Gentlemen of Distinction

Every year we are excited to reveal our list of models for our October gala, the Bill Fleeman Gentlemen of Distinction fashion show. Every year we think "This is our best list yet!" Then, the next year we think "This is the best list yet!". The truth is that every list is the best - because we have so many terrific guys in Northwest Arkansas willing to give their time to support Hope Cancer Resources' programs.

Our 2012 list includes a Richard Gere movie double, a mountain climber, a former basketball star, a local t.v. celebrity, a doctor, a pastor, a lawyer, and nine more amazing guys! Take a look... we're sure you'll know someone.

Tickets for the event are available for $125 a piece, or you can purchase tables for six, eight, or ten people. Join us for a great show, dinner, an award presentation, and some terrific auction items, and leave knowing that your good time helped cancer patients across Northwest Arkansas have access to support that they need to become survivors.

Email Gay Prescott (or call at 479-361-5847) to purchase tickets or for information on sponsorship and event program ads. Follow our Gentlemen of Distinction page on Facebook to keep up with news and updates. We're sharing an auction item each day at 11:30 a.m.!