Losing weight can help the return of cancer for cancer survivers.
By winterose
@winterose (39887)
Canada
April 22, 2008 12:29am CST
I just saw this on tv and then I read it in the harvard school of medicine.
Here is an excerpt from the article
If you're one of over 10 million cancer survivors living in the United States, maintaining a healthy weight is vitally important. Carrying extra pounds, especially in your abdomen, can inhibit a cancer patient's response to treatment.
For women receiving treatment for early-stage breast cancer, gaining more than 13 pounds increases her risk of breast cancer returning by one and a half times. Obesity and weight gain increase a man's risk of prostate cancer recurrence, death and the cancer spreading to other parts of the body (metastases).
For full story including some tips to healthy eating click here:
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977328900
If you are a cancer survivor would you be willing to lose weight to prolong your life?
I know for some people it is very difficult to lose weight,
how would you handle the situation?
3 people like this
7 responses
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
22 Apr 08
I would try to lose weight. I would want to live as long as I could to pester my husband. This is a serious thing and I think that if it prolongs life for patients then they should try to lose weight or maintain their weight if they aren't overweight. I pray to god that I will never have to be a cancer surviver but with the things how they are nowdays it seems everywhere you look they are saying this and that causes cancer. I guess that is why it is best to do a nonprocessed organic diet to lessen the chances, but who has the money to do that. not me closest I get is my garden food what little I can raise of it.
3 people like this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
24 Apr 08
After my grandfather had surgery to remove his prostate cancer he went downhill after. My stepdad was diagnosed with colon cancer recently and he is getting another opinion and getting a test Tuesday with another doctor to double check. He has had the church pray over it and is hoping the other doctor was wrong. 
I am sorry to hear baout your sister it is never easy to lose a loved one to such a bad disease. I just hope that they will find a cure for most the diseases their are out their nowdays. And different forms of cancer being the majority of them. My niece was diagnosed with the uncurable Cystic Fibrosis. So lets hope researchers will get on the ball and maybe save alot of lives.
I am sorry to hear baout your sister it is never easy to lose a loved one to such a bad disease. I just hope that they will find a cure for most the diseases their are out their nowdays. And different forms of cancer being the majority of them. My niece was diagnosed with the uncurable Cystic Fibrosis. So lets hope researchers will get on the ball and maybe save alot of lives.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
24 Apr 08
yes good luck to you, I hope it never comes back either.
1 person likes this
@sunshinelady (7609)
• United States
22 Apr 08
That is a hard question to answer. The last question of how would I handle it. I am a person who does what I must do in different cases. So in the case of losing weight to help keep cancer from coming back I would have to say that I would do what ever it takes to lose the weight. It would not be a easy thing but there is help out there if you can't do it on your own.
2 people like this
@gemini_rose (16264)
•
22 Apr 08
I have heard about this recently on the tv. I would do anything that I could to try and prevent it returning, it is one of the worst diseases ever and if I had beat it once I would not want it back just because I ate too much or too unhealthily. I would definately follow whatever dietary requirements I had to.
3 people like this
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
22 Apr 08
Thanks for the information. I didn't know this. Didn't see the news on TV. While I have not suffered from cancer, I know many who have.
Interestingly, most people I've known who survived cancer weighed less after treatments and stayed that way.
Also interestingly, belly fat seems to be the cause of many health problems. I guess we all need to remember that.
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
24 Apr 08
Yes it is scary and I have so much belly fat, I can hardly dress myself.
1 person likes this
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
31 May 08
I'm not sure how I would handle this. I have never had cancer before. I would love to lose some weight though. I do not know which is worse. I would hate to have cancer but I would hate to also be very overweight and have to deal with that also. I have gained some punds over the years and it just won't come back off of me. I am willing to lose weight to prolong my life if I knew how or had the time or funds to do it.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
1 Jun 08
It is really hard for an obese person to lose weight, just as it is for a chain smoker to stop even when the doctor tell him that he will die otherwise. It takes more than will power, I know the trouble I have losing weight
