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It is important to speak to your cancer specialist about the types of exercises that may be appropriate at various stages of you cancer treatment and the types of physical activities that you should avoid.

Unintentional Weight Loss

One of the most common symptoms experienced by cancer patients is unintentional weight loss which can lead to malnutrition, increased susceptibility to infections, reduced quality of life, and shorter survival time. The underlying causes of unintentional weight loss in cancer patients may be attributed to a variety of factors including loss of appetite associated with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and psychological disturbances such as depression which has been found to affect up to 25% of cancer patients.

From a metabolic perspective, unintentional weight loss may be understood by the increased energy (calories) required by cancer cells to grow and spread as well as the increased energy requirements of the body to mount an effective response to fight the cancer. A net loss in weight occurs when the body uses more calories from stored energy reserves than is available from calories ingested from nutrients in the diet. Metabolic changes in cancer can also cause a condition called cachexia - a generalized wasting condition involving the loss of muscle mass and fat. Cachexia may develop even in people with good nutritional intake due to the failure of the body to absorb nutrients. Symptoms of cachexia, which affects about 50% of all cancer patients, include loss of appetite, weight loss, wasting of muscle mass, generalized fatigue, and significantly reduced capacity to perform routine activities of daily living.

The management of weight loss in cancer patients usually involves nutritional counseling to ensure an adequate intake of calories. Nutritional counseling can also help cancer patients develop new eating habits to prevent further weight loss including eating foods that are rich in calories or protein; eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the course of the day; "snacking" between meals; and drinking high-calorie liquid nutritional supplements (e.g., Boost, Ensure, Sustacal). In some cases, medications such as megestrol acetate (Megace) or dexamethasone (Decadron) may be prescribed to stimulate the appetite.

Your cancer specialist, working together with a nutritionist and a dietician, can help you develop and maintain a well-balanced diet to ensure that your body receives an adequate level of nutrition not only during the course of your cancer treatments but also during the recovery phase.

Psychological Stress

The diagnosis of cancer is a life-altering event that may evoke feelings of anxiety, fear, depression, hopelessness, and severe psychological stress in many patients. Studies have shown that about 25% of cancer patients suffer from depression. Conventional treatments for anxiety, stress, and depression may involve the administration of prescription anti-anxiety medications or antidepressants which may cause undesirable side-effects in some patients. Specific types of psychotherapy or "talk therapy" can also help relieve depression in cancer patients.

Studies have shown that a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are useful for controlling anxiety and other mood disturbances when used in conjunction with conventional treatments. These include: