The researchers studied the impact of a ‘prehabilitation exercise programme’ where patients are made to follow guided training seasons before and after chemotherapy treatment.
Moderate level of work out helps the body cope up with chemotherapy treatment in oesophageal cancer. Researchers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust have found that moderate exercise programmes improves success of the chemotherapy treatment and can be safely included as a part of cancer treatment. The research published in the ‘British Journal of Sports Medicine’ and involving 40 oesophageal cancer patients found that moderate level of exercise with regular training seasons before and after the chemotherapy treatment reduces some of the negative effects of the treatment on fitness like tiredness.
Chemotherapy is a standard procedure for a range of cancers including that affects the gullet or food pipe. Its negative impacts are sickness, tiredness and risk of infections. Hence physicians first make the patients aware of the positives and negatives of the treatment for them to make a sound choice.
The researchers studied the impact of a ‘prehabilitation exercise programme’ where patients are made to follow guided training seasons before and after chemotherapy treatment. They are also given instructions on how to continue the programme at home.
The researchers studied two groups of patients of similar age, one taking the exercise programme and another not with chemotherapy. The first group doing exercise showed better response to therapy, their tumours started shrinking more and became more likely to get to the less advanced stage of the cancer.
Andrew Davies who led the study finds that it is a cost-effective way to better the effectiveness of chemotherapy in cancer treatment, but more studies on the same needs to be conducted to affirm the findings further.
Alan Holman, 70, a participant in the study after undergoing guided exercise sessions once a week and home workout once a week during chemotherapy and in a run up to an operation has been leading a more active life.
The study, however, had its limitations. The study was controlled on a relatively small group and patients were divided based on whether they lived in a region where exercise sessions take place as letting patients to travel long distances would be a burden for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Any effects travel would have had on the study population was checked and the analyses were adjusted according to that.
(The above article is for informational purposes only. Please consult medical experts and health professionals before starting any therapy, medication and/or remedy.)
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