REACH - Research in Exercise And Cancer Health

Latest Episodes:

Episode 4 - 5 Things to know about exercising during cancer treatment May 08, 2017

Show notes

This episode was made in response to the overwhelming response to the first few episodes of the show. So many people got in touch with me to let me know that they had no idea exercise could help cancer patients and that this field existed. In this episode, I talk about the safety of exercise during cancer treatment, how it can be beneficial, what to expect when you're setting goals and some how to modify exercise appropriately.

Show Notes

1:30 - Thank you: the feedback I've gotten from the initial episodes have inspired me to keep going

2:30 – The common forms of therapy (radiation, chemotherapy & hormonal therapy), what they are and some of their side effects

8:07 – Point 1. Exercise is safe during exercise. I talk about how not exercising may be even worse.

10:28 – Point 2. You may need to modify exercise around the side effects of treatment. I talk briefly about some common side effects (lymphedema, peripheral neuropathy, low blood cell count etc. and how you can tailor your exercise accordingly.

17.10 - Point 3. Your treatment related symptoms will fluctuate. You will have times during the day or week where your symptoms are more or less pronounced.

20:09 – No progress can be a good thing. Your body can take a massive hit from treatment. It helps to understand what you will go through and how exercise can attenuate some of these side effect. By reframing your expectations of what exercise will do during treatment, you can set appropriate goals and avoid potential disappointment.

22.46 – Point 5. Exercise may be a medicine during treatment. I talk about how exercise may affect tumor biology and chemotherapy completion rate and some of the implications of these.

28.02 – Takeaways – Some practical advice for exercising during treatment and how to modify it to your activity level.

Episode 3 - Dr. Bobby Cheema: Why weight training is important for breast cancer and how to do it. May 01, 2017

Show notes

Dr. Bobby Cheema is researcher and Senior lecturer at University of Western Sydney in Australia. Bobby has done a lot of work in the area of weight training and cancer a really strong advocate of making exercise fit an individuals' lifestyle. In the show, we talk about why it's so important for cancer patients and survivors to engage in exercise, how to design a program suit to you, along with some tips on common problem areas for survivors, such as lymphedema and peripheral neuropathy. We also chat about the role of exercise physiologists within the health care system. In Australia, patients with chronic diseases can get reimbursed for training sessions and consultations with exercise physiologists. This is a really strong indicator of the progression of the field, so we hope to promote awareness of this and help push the field forward.

Follow Bobby at his website, drbobbycheema.com

Outline of the Show

2:45 Bobby's background, my inability to swim.

4:00 Why is weight training important for cancer survivors and the parallels between exercise oncology and cardiac rehab.

10:30 The safety of weight training in cancer, particularly with lymphedema.

13.40 How Bobby approaches the design of an exercise program for cancer patients, including the importance of initial consultations.

17:00 Discussion of the exercise guidelines from the national governing bodies of our field and how we can expand on them.

20:00 Discussion of home-based exercises for those who can't get to the gym/how to fit exercise into your lifestyle in the bigger picture.

30:00 Exercise physiologists in the Allied health system in Australia and how rebates for exercise sessions/consultations work.

38:00 How different cancer survivors can be, and how the exercise program must be modified to account that.

41:35 Discussion of the difficulty of translating research into to practice and how much work it takes to foster professional relationships with oncologists and physicians.

46.40 Advice for professionals training survivors.

Episode 2 - Mark Corroto, 2-time cancer survivor shares his story. Apr 30, 2017

Show notes

In 2014, after having 2/3 of his quadriceps removed as the result of a sarcomma, Mark Corroto went from being a competitive cyclist to learning how to walk again. In this episode, he shares his experiences in dealing with a cancer diagnosis along the the mental and physical battle to recovery.

Mark spoke about Imerman's Angels, a group that provides free support to survivors, by connecting them with a mentor (another cancer patient or survivor). If you know of someone that may benefit from this group, they can learn more about them here: http://imermanangels.org/about-us-2/

Mark also serves on the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, who look to promote policy change to better cancer care. You can learn more here:

https://www.canceradvocacy.org/

https://www.facebook.com/cancersurvivorship/

Outline of the show:

1:30 Mark's background

3:00 How he found his tumor / initial treatment / and reaction to being told he had cancer

6:30 Day of surgery / How he found cycling

8:30 The importance of social support through a diagnosis / what it means to be a survivor

11:30 Having two thirds of his leg removed / and learning to walk again

14:30 Getting back on the bike / low point in rehab / how he stayed motivated / psychology of recovery

17:00 First ride post-treatment / why he rode alone at first/psychology of recovery

19:00 Diagnosis of second cancer, chronic lymphocytic leukemia / why this diagnosis was more difficult

24:30 Transitioning to normal life after treatment / Self Education / Autonomy

27:00 How the new diagnosis has impacted performance

28:30 Cancer Policy and Efficacy Team Member / Nutritional Needs of Cancer Survivors / Qualitative Research and Cancer Survivorship

33:30 Process of Policy Change

Episode 1 - Why I started a podcast about cancer Apr 20, 2017

Show notes

In this quick introduction episode, I break down the podcast, the reasons behind its inception, and with my goals for it moving forward. Here, I lay out the format of the show, and give you an idea of what to expect from it. I also spend a bit of time talking about my background as a researcher in exercise and cancer, along with my journey to get here. Enjoy!

Reach Apr 05, 2017

Show notes

This podcast is about all things lifestyle and cancer through Reach. I'll be interviewing researchers, patients and oncologists among others, exercise, nutrition and lifestyle choices to improve survivorship.

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