Zacharoula Sidiropoulou: VIVIFRAIL as a Game-Changer for Cancer Patients
Zacharoula Sidiropoulou, Senior Consultant Breast Surgical Oncologist at Hospital São Francisco Xavier, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“VIVIFRAIL: The Game-Changer for Cancer Patients’ Quality of Life.
When we think about cancer treatment, we often focus on medical interventions.
But we “forget” that a structured exercise program could be just as powerful as medicine in improving outcomes for cancer patients.
Adopt VIVIFRAIL – an evidence-based multicomponent exercise program that’s transforming lives across 5,000+ healthcare facilities worldwide, reaching over 15,000 people.
Why Cancer Patients Need Exercise
Cancer and its treatments often accelerate frailty, muscle loss, and functional decline – especially in older adults. This creates a dangerous cycle: weaker patients struggle more with treatment, experience more side effects, and face higher risks of falls and disability.
People diagnosed with cancer who regularly exercise reduced their risk of dying from all causes by 25% compared with people with cancer who did not exercise
The median survival time was increased around five years in exercisers compared with non-exercisers
Breast cancer survivors who were the most physically active had a 42% lower risk of death from any cause and a 40% lower risk of death from breast cancer
Physical activity after a colorectal cancer diagnosis is associated with a 30% lower risk of death from colorectal cancer and a 38% lower risk of death from all causes
VIVIFRAIL breaks this cycle by targeting:
Muscle strength & power (combating treatment-related muscle wasting)
Balance & coordination (preventing falls during vulnerable periods)
Cardiovascular endurance (maintaining heart health during cardiotoxic treatments)
Functional capacity (preserving independence in daily activities)
The Evidence is Clear:
Research shows that cancer patients who maintain physical activity experience:
Reduced cancer-related fatigue
Better treatment tolerance
Lower risk of recurrence (particularly breast & colorectal cancers)
Improved quality of life & mental health
Maintained functional independence
Reduced treatment side effects
The VIVIFRAIL Difference:
Unlike generic exercise programs, VIVIFRAIL provides individualized, precise prescriptions based on each person’s functional capacity – just like any other medical treatment. It’s WHO-endorsed and part of the EU’s Strategy for Health and Quality of Life.
Healthcare providers: Are you discussing exercise with your cancer patients? The American Society of Clinical Oncology now recommends exercise as a standard part of cancer care.
Cancer survivors & caregivers: Ask your oncology team about structured exercise programs. Your body is capable of more than you might think, even during treatment.
Let’s shift the paradigm from “rest and recover” to “move and thrive.”
Read more about the Vivifrail.”
More posts featuring Zacharoula Sidiropoulou.
-
Challenging the Status Quo in Colorectal Cancer 2024
December 6-8, 2024
-
ESMO 2024 Congress
September 13-17, 2024
-
ASCO Annual Meeting
May 30 - June 4, 2024
-
Yvonne Award 2024
May 31, 2024
-
OncoThon 2024, Online
Feb. 15, 2024
-
Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023