BALTIMORE (EGMN) – Cancer patients and survivors not only should be getting physical activity, but should aim to meet federal recommendations for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity weekly, according to new guidelines released by the American College of Sports Medicine.

“The first two words of the [U.S.] Department of Health and Human Services’ physical activity guidelines for Americans – or all Americans regardless of age – are this: Avoid inactivity. That, indeed, is our primary conclusion for this population during and post treatment,” the lead author of the guidelines, said Kathryn Schmitz, Ph.D., at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Members of the ACSM roundtable panel concluded that the goals of the federal activity guidelines are safe for cancer survivors and cancer patients on treatment. The federal guidelines call for Americans aged 18-64 years to get 150 minutes each week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. Adults also should do resistance training of all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days each week.

“There are dozens of studies that allow us to conclude that the current federal guidelines for physical activity for Americans are completely appropriate for individuals who are undergoing cancer treatment,” Dr. Schmitz said in an interview. The preponderance of evidence shows that it is safe for people who are in treatment to follow the guidelines that the rest of Americans have been given for physical activity, she added.

In particular, cancer patients should walk, as well as do flexibility activities and resistance training. The panel stressed that the benefit to a cancer survivor from physical activity strongly outweighs the small risks that would be associated with exercising if the patient had developed a bony metastases or cardiotoxicity secondary to cancer treatment.

However, exercise recommendations should be tailored to the individual cancer survivor according to exercise tolerance and specific diagnosis. In addition, clinicians and fitness professionals should pay close attention to cancer survivors’ responses to physical activity so that these individuals can safely progress through exercise programs and avoid injuries.

The primary objective of prescribing exercise to cancer patients and survivors is to help them regain and improve physical function, said Dr. Schmitz of the center for clinical epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Exercise can also help improve body image and quality of life for these patients.

There may even be value in exercise programs to reduce or delay recurrence or a second primary cancer, she said. “We’re not foolish enough to believe that exercise all by itself is a panacea to prevent a second primary cancer or recurrence.” However, there is value in this population’s using exercise as an adjunctive treatment or activity. Exercise may help patients to be physically and psychologically able to deal with the rigors of treatment, should their cancer recur, Dr. Schmitz concluded.

The guidelines are scheduled to be published in the July issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, which is the official journal of the ACSM. Dr. Schmitz reported that she has no relevant financial relationships.

Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Global Medical News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

巴尔的摩(EGMN)——根据美国运动医学会(ACSM)颁布的新指南，癌症患者及治疗后存活者不仅应该进行体育活动，而且还要以达到联邦建议的要求为目标，即每周150min的中度有氧运动。

 

“在(美国)卫生及公共服务部针对美国人(所有年龄段的美国人)所制定的体力活动指南中，最先提到的两个词是：避免静止。那确实也是我们对治疗中及治疗后癌症人群所总结出来的重要结论，”在美国运动医学会年会上，Kathryn Schmitz博士说，她是此项新指南的主要作者。

 

ACSM圆桌小组的成员总结说，联邦运动指南的要求对于癌症幸存者和治疗中的患者都是安全的。联邦指南要求18~64岁的美国人每周进行中等至高强度有氧运动150min。成年人也应该每周至少两天对所有主要的肌肉群进行阻力训练。

 

“通过数十项的研究，我们得出结论：针对全美国人的体育活动联邦指南对接受抗癌治疗的患者个体是完全适宜的，”Schmitz博士在一次采访中说。“多数证据显示，对正在接受治疗的患者来说，遵照其他美国人都在接受的这个指南来进行体育活动是安全的，”她还补充说。

 

癌症患者尤其需要步行、做灵活性运动和阻力训练。此小组强调说，对于癌症存活者，即使是伴有骨转移或抗癌治疗所继发的心脏毒性，其从体育活动处得到的益处也要远远多于锻炼本身所伴随的那些小风险。

 

但是，对特定的癌症患者来说，必须根据锻炼的可承受度和特殊的诊断制定适宜的锻炼建议。另外，临床医生和健身专家需要对癌症存活者对体育活动的反应加以密切关注，以便这些个体能够在安全的前提下通过锻炼项目有所改善并避免损伤。

 

此项针对癌症患者和幸存者所开具的锻炼处方的最根本目的，是帮助他们重新获得和增强体育活动的能力，来自费城宾西法尼亚大学的临床流行病学和生物统计学中心的Schmitz博士说。锻炼还可以帮助这些患者改善体形和生活质量。

 

锻炼项目在减少或者延缓肿瘤复发及第二种原发性癌发生也有意义，她说：“我们还没有傻到相信锻炼本身是阻止第二种原发癌或者肿瘤复发的万能药。”但是，利用锻炼作为辅助治疗或者活动在这一群体中确实有意义。如果他们的癌症复发，锻炼可能帮助患者在身体上和心理上应对高强度的治疗，Schmitz博士总结说。

 

此项指南计划7月份在ACSM的官方杂志《运动训练医学和科学》(Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise)上发表。Schmitz博士报告称没有相关经济利害关系。

 

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