Cancer Support: Surviving Cancer
Cancer support is important and helps many cancer patients to cope better with the symptoms of pain and stress in their disease. This improves their quality of life.
Approximately 9.5 million cancer survivors in the United States require
cancer support. Nearly every two out of three cancer patients live in
excess of five years after their diagnosis. Diet and exercise are key
cancer support recommendations to help those who beat the disease.
Cancer survivors naturally have many questions regarding cancer support, in
particular the effects that diet and exercise may have on their health.
In a report published in the September/October 2003 issue of CA: A
Cancer Journal for Clinicians, the American Cancer Society issued amended
nutrition and physical activity recommendations for cancer survivors, to
help answer those cancer support questions.
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Cancer support recommendations for survivors in remission from cancer
include:
• Cancer Support #1: Physical activity increases appetite and reduces
constipation and fatigue. Even people with advanced cancer may find
assistance and relief by physical activity.
• Cancer Support #2: Obesity can increase the risk of cancer recurrence
and may decrease chances of survival.
• Cancer Support #3: Cancer survivors can be helped to meet their
nutrient needs when it's difficult for them to eat a healthy diet by taking
a standard multivitamin and mineral supplement in amounts equivalent to
100 percent of the Daily Value.
• Cancer Support #4: Some supplements that contain high levels of folic
acid or antioxidants may be harmful during cancer treatment.
• Cancer Support #5: A vegetarian diet does offer health benefits, yet
there's no direct evidence that such a diet can prevent cancer
recurrence. Cancer survivors who eat a vegetarian diet need to ensure they get
adequate nutritional intake.
• Cancer Support #6: Alcohol can have both positive and negative
effects, increasing the risk of new cancers in survivors while reducing the
risk of heart disease.
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