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(08) 6110 0570admin@pdchealthhub.com.auExercise is part of cancer care in Australia, not an optional extra: the Australian position statement says it should be embedded in standard practice. The dose is set to the week you are in.
Exercise during and after cancer treatment is used to keep your body working through a hard stretch. Australian information says exercise can reduce the severity of treatment side effects and improve physical function, fatigue and psychological wellbeing.1 The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia position statement on exercise in cancer care says exercise should be embedded as part of standard practice in cancer care, viewed as an adjunct therapy, with referral to exercise specialists part of recommended care.2 So the question is not whether to exercise. It is what dose is right for you this week.
The position statement asks people with cancer to progress towards at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise each week, plus two to three resistance sessions each week targeting the major muscle groups.2 That is a destination, not a starting point, and during active treatment a program often sits well below it.4 Accredited exercise physiologists and physiotherapists are named as the most appropriate health professionals to prescribe and deliver exercise programs for people with cancer.2 Your oncology team and GP stay in charge of your cancer treatment. PDC clinicians do not diagnose or prescribe medicines.
Some cautions genuinely apply. Exercise safety for an individual should be assessed by a health professional with cancer knowledge before starting, and the national statement is explicit that it does not replace individual exercise prescription.2 Ask your cancer care team or GP about precautions that apply to you.1 If you have cancer in your bones, we ask your oncology team what is safe before you start, keep the emphasis on posture and control, and add load only once they have said so. Where a bone lesion is unstable or of unknown stability, nothing starts until your treating team has guided it. Fever during chemotherapy is an emergency.3
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This page follows the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia position statement on exercise in cancer care (Medical Journal of Australia, 2018), Cancer Council NSW's physical activity and chemotherapy information, and Exercise and Sports Science Australia on individualised prescription.
Australian guidance says exercise should be part of standard cancer care, including during treatment. Before you start, exercise safety should be assessed by a health professional with cancer knowledge, and you should ask your cancer care team or GP about precautions that apply to you. The dose is then matched to the week you are in, which during treatment often means shorter, more frequent and gentler sessions.
The Clinical Oncology Society of Australia position statement asks people with cancer to progress towards at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise a week, plus two to three resistance sessions a week targeting the major muscle groups. That is the target, not the entry point. An accredited exercise physiologist works out your starting dose and the steps up.
Usually yes, but not before your oncology team has told us what is safe. Cancer in the bones changes what the program can include, so we ask for that advice first, keep the emphasis on posture, control and technique, and add load only once your treating team has agreed. Where a bone lesion is unstable or its stability is not known, nothing starts until they have guided it.
We will not tell you that. What the Australian position statement supports is exercise as an adjunct therapy that can reduce the severity of treatment side effects and improve physical function, fatigue and psychological wellbeing. Questions about your prognosis belong with your oncologist, who knows your cancer type, stage and treatment.
The Australian position statement names accredited exercise physiologists and physiotherapists as the most appropriate health professionals to prescribe and deliver exercise programs for people with cancer. At PDC an exercise physiologist usually leads the ongoing program, and physiotherapy is added for a specific problem such as a stiff shoulder or a painful joint. Our physiotherapy service is for people aged 16 and over.
Tell us what is going on and we will point you to the right discipline, or to more than one. Most people start with a single appointment and leave with a plan the rest of the team can see.
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