In recent years, an increasing body of research has demonstrated that tailored sports medicine holds the potential to significantly extend the lives of cancer patients. This groundbreaking approach integrates personalized exercise plans into cancer treatment, marking a new era in oncology care.
A milestone 17-year study, jointly conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney, Queen’s University in Canada, and the University of Alberta, has provided compelling evidence of the life-prolonging benefits of structured exercise. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tracked 889 patients across six countries. The findings revealed that a customized exercise plan, tailored to each patient’s preferences and abilities, could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer death by 37% and lower the likelihood of cancer recurrence or the development of other cancers by 28%.
In the study, the exercise regimen, termed “structured,” involved an additional 250 minutes of physical activity per week, which could be broken down into five 30-minute sessions, for example. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, these plans were personalized based on the patients’ preferred forms of aerobic exercise. Participants were closely monitored and encouraged to adhere to the plan following traditional medical interventions such as surgery and chemotherapy.
This research was contrasted with a more conventional approach, where participants were randomly assigned to a “health education program” that merely advised changes in diet and exercise habits post-cancer treatment. The results clearly showed that those in the structured exercise group outperformed the control group, with survival rates increasing from 83% to 90%.
Professor Kerry Courneya from the University of Alberta, a co-chair of the study, emphasized, “Our research indicates that exercise is no longer just a quality-of-life intervention; it has become an essential treatment method for colon cancer patients.” These findings have the potential to revolutionize the global treatment standards for colon cancer and may even be applicable to other types of cancer.
Other studies have further supported the role of tailored exercise in cancer care. For instance, research published in Cancer Research showed that high-intensity exercise could significantly reduce the risk of cancer metastasis. In a mouse experiment, 8 weeks of exercise led to positive changes in carbohydrate metabolism, glycolysis, and mitochondrial biogenesis, creating an environment less conducive to cancer spread. A 20-year follow-up of 2734 human subjects confirmed that high-intensity exercise could lower the occurrence of highly metastatic cancers by 73%.
Moreover, studies have indicated that the timing and type of exercise matter. Morning exercise (8 – 10 am) was found to reduce the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women by 38% and prostate cancer in men by 27%. Swimming has also emerged as an effective “exercise prescription” for cancer patients. Experiments on mice showed that those that swam for 5 – 8 minutes daily lived 10 days longer than non-swimming counterparts, highlighting the importance of appropriate exercise intensity.
An international research team led by Dr. Kathryn Schmitz from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine has launched the “Moving Through Cancer” initiative. Their research recommends that cancer survivors engage in three 30-minute sessions of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and two 20 – 30-minute strength training sessions per week. These personalized FITT (frequency, intensity, time, type) exercise prescriptions can help improve the quality of life, alleviate fatigue, pain, and other symptoms in cancer patients.
The evidence is clear: tailored sports medicine is not just a supplementary measure but a powerful therapeutic tool in the fight against cancer. As more research continues to explore the mechanisms and optimal strategies, integrating personalized exercise plans into cancer treatment will likely become a standard practice, offering new hope for cancer patients to live longer, healthier lives.
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