Many survivors of breast cancer continue treatment in the form of hormonal therapies (including Arimidex, Aromasin, Femara, tamoxifen) for 5 or more years after completing their other cancer treatments. These therapies are proven to greatly reduce the risk of cancer recurrence in many cases. There are, however, some physical side effects that can negatively impact one’s health and quality of life. There is the potential for osteoporosis, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), joint or muscle pain, and weight gain (which has been shown to increase the chance of breast cancer recurrence). These side effects can all be significantly diminished by participating in a regular exercise program that includes cardiovascular activity, resistance training, core strengthening and flexibility exercises. It is extremely important if you are undergoing hormonal therapy that you establish and stick to a routine of regular exercise.
There are also some concerns regarding cardiac health that can stem from use of certain chemotherapy drugs commonly used to treat breast cancer (as well as other cancers), including Adriamycin and Herceptin, which can cause damage to the heart muscle. For people undergoing therapies using these medications, exercise is very important as a way of maintaining as healthy a heart as possible. However, it is important that you have medical permission and a medically supervised exercise program to insure you are exercising safely to strengthen and protect your heart without undue strain.
At Oncology Rehabilitation Specialists, we offer what we call our Vitality Program, in which we offer one on one meetings to establish a safe, personalized exercise plan and provide a supportive place to carry it out. There are also many excellent community resources available to you to assist you in keeping active, including Cancer Lifeline, Team Survivor Northwest, and the Exercise and Thrive program at several local YMCA branches, offered through the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in association with the Lance Armstrong Foundation.