After recovering, focus must be on exercise, diet and checkups: Doc

Panaji: A balanced diet, coupled with regular exercise, medical checkups, and good stress management are essential to keep cancer survivors in good health, said GMC’s head of medical oncology, Dr Anupama Borkar.
“It is scientifically proven that those who exercise regularly after treatment for cancer have a reduced chance of recurrence compared to those who don’t,” she said, adding that a well-balanced diet is also of utmost importance. “You’ve survived cancer, and you owe it to yourself to take care of your health henceforth, as life is worth saving,” she said ahead of National Cancer Survivors Day, which is marked on June 1.
She said that all kinds of risky behaviours, such as tobacco in all forms—chewable and cigarettes—as well as alcohol, must be avoided at all costs, as these are proven carcinogens. “You’ve already got cancer once, and your body was exposed to surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Hence, one needs to take utmost precautions to prevent themselves from any other illnesses,” she said.
Good stress management through recreation, yoga, meditation, pranayama, and engaging in hobbies helps release good endorphins, keeping one relaxed and in a positive frame of mind, which helps boost immunity. “We now know that stress decreases immunity and, in turn, is responsible for causing cancer and relapses. Once cancer is treated and the patient is cured, there is always a possibility that some cancer cells may have remained dormant in the body. When your immunity is low, these dormant cells can resurface,” she said.
Regular checkups, as advised by the treatment team, must also be adhered to. “After completion of treatment for cancer, the long-term effects of medication also need to be under scrutiny so that if any other organ is damaged, it can be detected early and treatment started in time,” she said. “We can never be sure why a fraction of patients relapse, but we know that by taking care of all these things, we can decrease the chance of recurrence and increase the chance of a healthy life,” she said.
Panaji: A balanced diet, coupled with regular exercise, medical checkups, and good stress management are essential to keep cancer survivors in good health, said GMC’s head of medical oncology, Dr Anupama Borkar.
“It is scientifically proven that those who exercise regularly after treatment for cancer have a reduced chance of recurrence compared to those who don’t,” she said, adding that a well-balanced diet is also of utmost importance. “You’ve survived cancer, and you owe it to yourself to take care of your health henceforth, as life is worth saving,” she said ahead of National Cancer Survivors Day, which is marked on June 1.
She said that all kinds of risky behaviours, such as tobacco in all forms—chewable and cigarettes—as well as alcohol, must be avoided at all costs, as these are proven carcinogens. “You’ve already got cancer once, and your body was exposed to surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. Hence, one needs to take utmost precautions to prevent themselves from any other illnesses,” she said.
Good stress management through recreation, yoga, meditation, pranayama, and engaging in hobbies helps release good endorphins, keeping one relaxed and in a positive frame of mind, which helps boost immunity. “We now know that stress decreases immunity and, in turn, is responsible for causing cancer and relapses. Once cancer is treated and the patient is cured, there is always a possibility that some cancer cells may have remained dormant in the body. When your immunity is low, these dormant cells can resurface,” she said.
Regular checkups, as advised by the treatment team, must also be adhered to. “After completion of treatment for cancer, the long-term effects of medication also need to be under scrutiny so that if any other organ is damaged, it can be detected early and treatment started in time,” she said. “We can never be sure why a fraction of patients relapse, but we know that by taking care of all these things, we can decrease the chance of recurrence and increase the chance of a healthy life,” she said.