Jay Harness, Chief Medical Officer at Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, shared a post on LinkedIn:
” ‘If Exercise Were a Pill, We’d All Prescribe It to Patients With Cancer. But It’s Not’ Published by Kathryn H. Schmitz and Jennifer A. Ligibel
The commentary emphasizes that patients and clinicians must understand what constitutes an evidence-based exercise oncology program. Decades of research summarized by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) demonstrate that exercise reduces fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, body composition changes, and lymphedema. Typically, effective prescriptions involve at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise three times per week, plus resistance training twice weekly. However, the exercise “dose” needed to improve survival or reduce recurrence may differ and remains an active area of research.
Importantly, most patients cannot succeed with exercise by receiving a brochure or a verbal recommendation alone. Behavioral support is crucial. The CHALLENGE trial incorporated supervised exercise, regular coaching, and theory-based behavior-change strategies. For patients, this underscores that exercise is safe, achievable, and far more successful when supported by trained professionals.
Read more of the summary at Cancer Fitness.”
Jennifer Douglas, Writer and DCIS Breast Cancer Patient Advocate, shared a post by Jay Harness, adding:
“I remember vividly learning how powerful exercise was to reduce my risk of recurrence a few months after finishing treatment. So, I decided to try it. I already did a lot of walking. But, I decided to try adding in something wiht more intensity. Dance and HIIT became my favorites. Nearly every day I log into my Apple Fitness and do a workout.
Exercise had been a key component to regaining my energy, improving my mood, and helping me feel like “me” again!”