Physical activity and cancer survivorship: From symptom control to survival (#35)
This presentation will provide an overview of the role of physical activity in cancer survivorship including coping with treatments, recovering after treatments, and improving long term survival. Research will be presented from several recently completed and ongoing exercise trials. One trial will report data examining the effects of different types and doses of exercise on symptoms in breast cancer patients on chemotherapy. Two other trials will report long term follow-up of breast cancer and lymphoma patients suggesting that exercise may improve survival-related outcomes. An update will also be provided of the CHALLENGE Trial, which is a multinational trial examining the effects of exercise on disease-free survival in 962 stage II/III colon cancer survivors who have recently completed chemotherapy. The presentation will also update a large cohort study called the AMBER study. The AMBER study is designed to determine the associations between physical activity, health-related fitness, and disease outcomes in 1,500 newly diagnosed Alberta breast cancer survivors. Finally, the presentation will briefly summarize the current exercise recommendations for cancer patients and survivors from the American Cancer Society and the American College of Sports Medicine.