World hears importance of Exercise for cancer survivors
But will the NHS take note as it was singled out for comment?
Held every year in the States, the ASCO conference is the biggest and most important get-together of the world’s cancer specialists
Last year 32,000 delegates attended, 16,000 from outside the States; This year, British newspaper editors have taken note, and there has been a flurry of reports in the British press from this meeting, mentioning important discoveries in the oncology world.
One presentation that grabbed the British press’s attention came from the giant University of Texas/ MD Anderson cancer center – reporting on a study into the benefits of exercise, swimming, etc. for cancer patients
The report stated “estimates suggest at least 50% of breast cancer survivors are insufficiently active. Guidelines specify all cancer survivors should avoid inactivity, and 90-minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week is associated with clinically meaningful benefits.
Interestingly, according to a report in the Daily Mail, the author apparently urged NHS bosses to roll out such treatment for our cancer patients, This is shaming – that such an eminent gathering should question the NHS publicly on an international stage is worrying, but underlines the fact that the World Health Organisation constantly points out that Britain has some of Europe’s worst cancer survival statistics
Government plans
It is the Dept. Health (run by a political Minister – currently Sajid David) who heads the NHS, rather than clinicians. and answers to the current Prime Minister. This means that plans for the NHS’s future can suddenly alter at someone’s political whim. Not good – especially if your cancer is a complex case.
Case study on Breast Cancer,
Breast cancer survivors who participated in Active Living After Cancer, an evidence-based 12-week group programme, markedly increased their physical activity and ability to accomplish the basic pursuits of daily life, researchers from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reported today in Cancer. The results show the programme could serve as a model to deliver a community-based physical activity programme “…
Sharing Information”
One very good thing about the US medical services is the prompt way they handle queries. Used to our NHS Press Office, who once took three months (honest!) to answer a query, my eyes shot up when – four hours after I had sent off a query to the ASCO press office – not ONE but TWO emails popped up in reply. One from a press officer, and one from the giant MD Anderson Hospital, where the original work had taken place.
Americans are excellent at sharing information, and – frankly – these two had so much that it’s probably best if readers Google their query, and see the mountain of useful information that comes back.
For details of sessions at ASCO https://conferences.asco.org/am/program
Reports at ASCO on benefits of exercise https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/search?
MD Anderson’s report https://www.mdanderson.org/newsroom/active-living-after-cancer-program-improves-physical-functioning.h00-159464001.html
Let’s hope the NHS takes note! Swimming was mentrioned as being particularly helpful for many conditions, yet the NHS has closed some of its hydro pools, using Covidf-19 as the excuse.