Physical Activity and Cancer: Body Image and Overall Quality of Life Flashcards
What is body image?
How someone perceives or sees themselves (subjective to your own thoughts)
What can help body image in general populations?
Exercise
Could PA improve body image in cancer populations?
Cancer pops have differen body image issues, may help some body image concerns, for example: weight gain
Not as helpful with hair loss or scarring body image concerns
What body image issues can arise from surgery?
- Surgical scars
- Removal of body part
- Lymphedema
What body image issues can arise from radiation?
- Discolouration
- Dermatitis (skin inflammation)
What body image issues can arise from chemotherapy?
- Hair loss/thinning
- Weight gain
What body image issues can arise from hormone therapy?
- Early menopause
- Weight gain
What can body image issues lead to?
- Anxiety
- Sexual/intimacy concerns
- Increased risk of mortality
What percent of breast cancer survivors have body image concerns? is there any improvement?
77% with little improvement in the 5 years following treatment
How can exercise improve body image?
- Slimming and toning (physical changes in the body)
- Focus on what the body can do when perception that ‘body has let me down’
What is Quality of life? - Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary
“refers to the patient’s ability to enjoy normal life activities”
What are the 5 domains of Quality of life? (ways to examine QofL) Give an example for each domain
- Physical (pain, nausea)
- Functional (ability to dress, or work)
- Emotional (depression, anxiety)
- Social (relationships with others - friends, marriage)
- Spiritual (views on spirituality, faith)
When is Physical Well-being the worst for cancer survivors?
Worst during treatments, but improves after
What are some lasting physical well-being effects?
- Chronic diarrhea
- Swallowing difficulty
When is functional well-being the worst? How long can this last?
Worst during treatment, some issues can last years into survivorship
Examples of functional well-being side effects?
- Fatigue
- Loss of function due to surgery/adjuvant treatment
Examples of emotional well-being effects?
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Grief
- Anger
What is Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD)?
An emotional well-being effect that is on the severe side and on-going reaction to psychological trauma
Examples of side effects in individuals with PTSD?
- Nightmares
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Loss of appetite
- irritability
What is social well-being?
Relationships between family and friends
How can cancer effect social well-being?
Puts strain on relationships
What types of relationships are at risk in individuals with cancer?
- Spousal relationships
- Parent - child
- Friendships
What happens to spiritual well-being in cancer survivors?
- Question faith (why did this happen to me?)
- Some people become more spiritual as a result of cancer
How is Quality of life assessed?
By paper and pencil, questionnaire
What are some commonly used QofL assessments?
- Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale (Cella,1993)
- European Organization of Research and Treatment Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Scale (Bjordal & Kaasa, 1992)
- FACT Scales (done for lung, breast cancers) = common
Do exercise therapies improve health related quality of life? if so what specific dimensions?
Yes, Significant improvement, especially to:
- Social
- Mental
- Emotional
- Physical functioning
What research was done to assess Quality of Life in Pediactric cancer survivors?
Quality of Life and PA in 30 pediatric cancer survivors during hospitilization
- Cross-over design = more ethical
- 3 sessions, 30 mins each adapted PA
What were the results of the pediatric quality of life part of the study?
Significant improvements in Health related quality of life:
- Physical well-being
- Social well-being
- Self-esteem
- Mental health
How does exercise improve quality of life? What specifically is improved?
Physical and Function well-being specifically by:
- Improving fitness
- Improving strength
- Improvements in mood
