Exercise and Cancer Survivorship: Impact on Health Outcomes and Quality of Life

An increasing number of exercise scientists are applying their skills collaboratively (with medics and physiotherapists) to clinical populations and investigating the effects of exercise in relation to wide-ranging clinical, pathophysiological and psycho-social outcomes.

The book is aimed at final year Undergraduate and Master's level students of Exercise Science, who are interested in working with clinical populations such as cancer patients. Many university Sport and Exercise Science courses in the UK and USA now have modules which are focused on exercise for health, and cover aspects of exercise science which are appropriate for clinical populations. The book would also be a very valuable resource for Undergraduate and Postgraduate Physiotherapy courses and a very useful resource for students of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy, as well as practitioners working with cancer patients.There are an increasing amount of research opportunities for exercise scientists who are interested in working with clinical populations. Furthermore, a considerable amount of Government and Charity research funding is being targeted at active lifestyles and this is helping to generate a new culture of collaboration between exercise scientists and medics. Hence, it is highly likely that an increasing number of students from Sport and Exercise Science courses will pursue careers within the clinical realm in the future. Practicing exercise therapists, clinical exercise physiologists and physiotherapists would also find lots of useful up-to-date knowledge to support their evidence-based clinical practice. This book would also be of interest to informed readers who are themselves undergoing or recovering from cancer treatment.

An increasing number of people are now surviving for longer periods of time after a cancer diagnosis due to effective screening programs and treatments. In 2008, 25 million people were either living with cancer or recovering from cancer treatment worldwide. This means that the quality of cancer survival has become an important issue in the management of cancer patients.

The cancer experience is widely acknowledged as a life-changing event and can be the trigger for reviewing personal health behaviours and making major lifestyle changes. Evidence suggests that regular exercise participation during and after cancer treatment is associated with higher levels of physical functioning, reduced feelings of fatigue and improved health-related quality of life. Studies have also shown that a physically active lifestyle can protect against cancer mortality.

Exercise and Cancer Survivorship: Impact on Health Outcomes and Quality of Life explores the impact of a physically active lifestyle on health outcomes that are highly relevant to cancer patients at all stages of the cancer experience. Twelve active and eminent researchers or research groups in this field from the USA, Canada and Europe present an up-to-date synthesis of the scientific evidence. We hope that the book will provide an impetus for further research in the field, so that ultimately, all cancer patients will have the opportunity to experience the benefits that exercise might have to offer to them.