Self-care for Cancer Patients
(The second in a two-post series, Taking Control of Life With Cancer) Since being diagnosed, do you feel as though someone else is in the driver’s seat? Consider these ways you can take hold of the steering wheel while living with cancer: Work with the present moment, rather than against it. Care for your mind and body as they are right now. At this moment, what can you do to bring yourself peace? Right now, what can you to help your body heal? Take a nap. Indulge in a hot ba
Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue Without Drugs
Talk or knead it out, chill or work out: All can help to reduce fatigue Whether it's talk or massage therapy, relaxation, yoga, aerobic training, or drugs, patients try many interventions to cope with cancer-related fatigue. A recent meta-analysis compared hundreds of studies to find the best nonpharmaceutical means to manage this common and challenging symptom. Researchers compared 245 studies to evaluate which nonpharmaceutical interventions were most effective in reducing
Social Support and Quality of Life During Cancer Treatment
Lean on me when you're not strong Bill Withers had it right when he sang, “We all need somebody to lean on.” But can we assume patients with a strong social group at cancer diagnosis still have the support they need to carry on a year or two after surgery? A total of 857 patients with colorectal cancer participated in the CREW cohort study, published in Psycho-Oncology. At baseline, 3, 9, 15, and 24 months postsurgery, researchers assessed social support and health-related qu
Yoga and Breast Cancer: Boosting Quality of Life
Patients should start practicing yoga before beginning treatment Everywhere you look today, women are sporting yoga pants. In addition to dressing comfortably and fashionably, women with breast cancer have good reason to put their yoga pants to practical use. A review of studies investigating yoga therapy added to standard breast cancer treatment, found that patients in the intervention groups experienced significant benefits. In a systematic review, researchers investigated
