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Cancer survivors: Take care of your body after treatment

Simple steps can improve your sense of well-being and your quality of life after cancer treatment. Find out what you can do.

By Mayo Clinic staff

After your cancer treatment, as a cancer survivor you're eager to return to good health. But beyond your initial recovery, there are ways to improve your long-term health so that you can enjoy the years ahead as a cancer survivor.

The advice for cancer survivors is no different from the advice for anyone who wants to improve their health: Exercise, eat a balanced diet, avoid tobacco and limit the amount of alcohol you drink. But for cancer survivors these strategies have added benefits. Research shows these simple steps can improve your quality of life, smoothing your transition into survivorship. Here's what you can do to take care of your body after cancer treatment.

Exercise

Regular exercise increases your sense of well-being after cancer treatment and can speed your recovery. Cancer survivors who exercise often experience:

  • Increased strength and endurance
  • Stronger immune systems
  • Fewer signs and symptoms of depression
  • Less anxiety
  • Reduced fatigue
  • Less difficulty sleeping
  • Improved mood
  • Higher self-esteem

Adding physical activity to your daily routine doesn't take a lot of extra work. Focus on small steps to make your life more active. Take the stairs more often or park farther from your destination and walk the rest of the way. Check with your doctor before you begin any exercise program.

With your doctor's approval, start slowly and work your way up. The American Cancer Society recommends adult cancer survivors exercise for at least 30 minutes five or more days a week. As you recover and adjust, you might find that more exercise makes you feel even better.

Sometimes you won't feel like exercising, and that's OK. Don't feel guilty if lingering treatment side effects, such as fatigue, keep you sidelined. When you feel up to it, take a walk around the block. Do what you can, and remember that rest also is important to your recovery.

While exercise has many benefits, there's no clear evidence that exercise can keep your cancer from coming back. Many cancer survivors are concerned about cancer recurrence and want to do all they can to avoid it. It's not clear why cancer recurs in some people but not in others. Exercise won't stop your cancer from recurring, but it can make you feel better and help prevent other diseases, such as heart disease.

Eat a balanced diet

Vary your diet to include lots of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains. When it comes to selecting your entrees, the American Cancer Society recommends that cancer survivors:

  • Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day
  • Choose healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty acids, rather than saturated fats or trans fats
  • Select proteins that are low in saturated fat, such as fish, lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes
  • Opt for healthy sources of carbohydrates, such as whole grains, legumes, and fruits and vegetables

This combination of foods will ensure that you're eating plenty of the vitamins and nutrients you need to help make your body strong.

It's not known if a certain diet or certain nutrients can keep cancer from recurring. Studies examining low-fat diets or diets that contain specific fruits and vegetables have had mixed results. In general, it's a good idea to eat a varied diet that emphasizes fruits and vegetables.

While it may be tempting to supplement your diet with a host of vitamin and mineral supplements, resist that urge. Some cancer survivors think that if a small amount of vitamins is good, a large amount must be even better. But that isn't the case. In fact, large amounts of certain nutrients can hurt you. If you're concerned about getting all the vitamins you need, ask your doctor if taking a daily multivitamin is right for you.

Maintain a healthy weight

You may have gained or lost weight during treatment. Try to get your weight to a healthy level. Talk to your doctor about what a healthy weight is for you and the best way to go about achieving that goal weight.

For cancer survivors who need to gain weight, this will likely involve coming up with ways to make food more appealing and easier to eat. You and your doctor can work together to control nausea, pain or other side effects of cancer treatment that are preventing you from getting the nutrition you need. Losing even more weight can reduce your quality of life and make recovery more difficult.

For cancer survivors who need to lose weight, take steps to lose weight slowly — no more than 2 pounds a week. Control the number of calories you eat and balance this with exercise. If you need to lose a lot of weight, it can seem daunting. Take it slowly and stick to it. Any amount of weight loss can help you feel better about yourself and improve your health.

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CA00070

Oct. 2, 2007

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