2024-03-25 23:00:00
news Prevention, survival rate, risks of recurrence… practicing physical activity has a major impact on the appearance and cure of certain cancers. Oncological revalidation is therefore an essential asset for patients during and following their treatment. The Cancer Foundation is now campaigning for better support for the physical rehabilitation of patients. What are his demands?
Cancer and its treatments affect the physical and mental health of patients in remission. Onco-revalidation might allow patients to start (or continue) to practice regular physical exercise in order to better manage the side effects of the disease, recover more easily and improve their health.
What is the impact of physical activity before, during and following cancer?
Practicing regular physical activity is a major asset in preventing the onset of cancer. This helps reduce risks for 7 common types of cancer: colon, breast, stomach, esophagus, bladder, endometrial and kidney cancer.
In patients affected by breast, colon or prostate cancer, physical exercise offers a better prognosis. “It also improves the quality of life of patients,” explains the Cancer Foundation.
As for the risk of recurrence, it is also 20 to 40% lower in patients who continue to practice sport (gymnastics, walking, fitness, etc.). This is especially true for cancers such as breast, colon and prostate cancer.
See also the article: What is the link between obesity and the risk of breast cancer?
How is it going in Belgium?
All studies confirm that the most effective revalidation programs are those which are supervised (in hospital or at home) and provided by professionals trained in oncology. The results would be visible from 8 to 12 weeks of well-supervised physical activities.
However, in Belgium, this type of approach is lagging behind. While the revalidation of all cancer patients should be systematically evaluated, today there is no such structural provision in our country. The Cancer Foundation therefore created a national working group in 2021 in order to find a consensus to improve this care.
See also the article: Cancer: the 7 possible causes or risk factors
The demands of the Cancer Foundation
Today, in a press release, the Cancer Foundation calls for a legislative change to regulate onco-revalidation. It calls for “including the physical revalidation of people living with or following cancer with official recognition and reimbursement”.
“This requires a national care offer for all cancer patients (with extremely complex needs in terms of physical rehabilitation) and a collaboration with INAMI to describe the roles of the different stakeholders.”
Health professionals must also be properly trained to ensure continuous monitoring of patients. “There is a real need for an official framework to determine the modalities of patient care, either in hospital by physiotherapists, or outside the hospital by physiotherapists, physical educators or sports coaches. These movement professionals working outside the hospital must be able to take care of any oncology patient, and refer them in time to health professionals if necessary, hence the importance of training.”
It is therefore a call for a global approach with all stakeholders (scientists, patients and patient organizations, caregivers and health and movement professionals, authorities) that the Cancer Foundation is launching today.
See also the article: What everyday activities are considered sport?
Source :
Last updated: March 2024
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