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Lifestyle and cancer |
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| Contents and links: Benefits of lifestyle | "What to do" | "What not do do" | When to consider a lifestyle change? | Giving up smoking | Diet | Exercise | Survivorship | The Lifestyle After Cancer guide book. | |
This
section offers practical lifestyle guidance to reduce the risks of cancer and improve well-being.
The background evidence is based on well conducted international research which leaves no doubt that what we choose to do and don't do to our bodies can influence
the outcome of an individual with cancer
in a number of ways:
Reduce the risk of
developing cancer
Reduces risks and side
effects of cancer
treatments
Speed up recovery after
treatments
Reduce the chances of
cancer returning
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The factors which influence the risk of developing cancer and those which influence its relapse are similar. These have been summarised in the sections "What to do more of" and "what to do less of" below. The lifestyle strategies which can reduce risks and help you cope with side effects are listed in the individual headings below. They have been split into strategies to help with risks and side effects during cancer treatments and those which help speed up recovery and help the long term risks and side effects.
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Lifestyle factors to reduce cancer development and risk of relapse: |
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| What to do more of: | What to do less of: |
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Side effects influenced by lifestyle and self help strategies: |
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| During treatment: | After treatment (long term): |
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When to consider a lifestyle initiative.
Shortly after their diagnosis, patients and their relatives are confronted by a sudden commotion activity
usually traveling to the hospital for blood tests, x-rays, scan, biopsies, and
treatments. This causes enormous upheaval to the daily routine
both socially and at the work place. Most
of your time is taken up adjusting to their new diagnosis, with coping with the
side effects of therapy and the difficulties of remembering, where and when they
have to be and what to do when they get there! Forcing yourself into a strategy which you
cannot do for practical or physical reasons
would be inappropriate or at worse may project a feeling of guilt which is
counter productive. Depending on the individual circumstances, at an early point in the treatment pathway,
however, the subject could be introduced gradually and sensitively. The timing
is paramount, as is ability of the clinician to assess the patient’s
receptiveness to considering lifestyle issues at each stage. Too early and the
anxieties of the circumstances will be confounded, too late and the benefits of
lifestyle will be overlooked.
Further
information The book Lifestyle
After Cancer summarises the lifestyle evidence from around the
world and provides practical advice for all stages in the cancer journey. A detailed
film available in English, Italian,
Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati & Hindi explains Radiotherapy &
Chemotherapy. Cancernet.co.uk is a
comprehensive cancer information resource written by an experienced team of
doctors, health professionals and patients. It contains links and
information on: Specific cancers:
Breast |
Prostate |
Bowel. Cancer
treatments: Chemotherapy
| Radiotherapy |
Hormones | Biological
agents | Complementary
therapies . Lifestyle and
cancer: Exercise |
Diet |
Smoking | Sunbathing
| Alcohol. Tips to
help with symptoms and side effects. Financial
issues: Traveling | Travel
insurance| Links to support
groups | Books | Tests
for cancer | Clinical trials | What
is cancer | How to avoid cancer | Glossary
| About us | Disclaimer.
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