Webinar: Exercise and Cancer
There has been much discussion lately regarding the benefits of exercise during and after cancer treatment. Moderate exercise has been found to not only improve the effect of chemotherapy but also enhances wellness after cancer treatment and may reduce the chance of cancer returning. We discuss the latest research and how it impacts people who have completed their active treatment.
Panellists
Cherrie Bullard
Cherrie is 63, lives in Sydney and has extensive experience working in HR and workplace conflict within the Public Sector. In 2015 she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and had part of her large colon removed, ovaries and 64 lymph nodes. She then went on to have eight (8) rounds of chemotherapy in 2016.
Whilst Cherrie was waiting for her first chemotherapy infusion she saw some information about the Challenge (Colon Health And Life Long Exercise ChaNGE) randomised clinical trial (RCT), being conducted out of the Sydney Survivorship Centre, at Concord. Examining the effects of physical activity to try to prevent a cancer from coming back. She decided that she would take part as soon as she was well enough.
At the completion of her chemotherapy Cherrie met Jane Turner, the exercise physiologist who was running the study with Professor Janette Vardy. She has participated in the Challenge program for 6 months now and feels back to her old self, recently completing a 5 km walk in the Cooks River Fun Run. She feels that in part her great recovery is due to the fantastic support and motivation to get physically active again that she has received from Jane and the university students working with her.
Professor Janette Vardy
Professor Janette Vardy is a medical oncologist working as a clinician researcher at the Concord Cancer Centre, University of Sydney. After completing a Clinical Research Fellowship at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Dr Ian Tannock, she returned to Australia in 2007 and together with Dr Haryana Dhillon established the Survivorship Research Group (SuRG) at the University of Sydney. Her main areas of research are Psycho-Oncology, Quality of life and Survivorship, with a particular interest in cognitive function and physical activity in cancer survivors. In 2013 she established the Sydney Survivorship Centre at Concord Cancer Centre.
Associate Professor Prue Cormie
Prue is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist whose research and clinical work focuses on the role of exercise in the management of cancer. Her track record includes ~$3 million in competitive research grant funding and over 65 refereed publications and book chapters. Prue has produced influential research exploring the efficacy of targeted exercise prescriptions in counteracting significant side effects of cancer and cancer treatments. Her work has been recognised with awards including the Cancer Council WA Early Career Cancer Researcher of the Year Award and the WA Young Tall Poppy of the Year Science Award. Prue is the inaugural Chair of the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Exercise Cancer Group and leads the Exercise and Sports Science Australia Cancer Special Interest Group. A core component of her work is invested to translating research into practice for meaningful improvements in health care services for people with cancer.