Scientific Research
Exercise is an important part of preventing breast cancer recurrence and improving quality of life during survivorship. Dragon boating is our sport of choice and you can learn here about the value of both physical exercise and the emotional connections our sport provides!
Exercise as Medicine
Because of ongoing research and the compassionate care given to us by our doctors and healthcare providers, we are living longer following our diagnosis of breast cancer. Our survivorship is also impacted by our self-care. This is especially true when we include exercise in our recovery strategy.
Exercise is an important part of preventing breast cancer recurrence and improving quality of life during survivorship. It’s no wonder that the International Breast Cancer Paddlers’ Commission uses the slogan, “Exercise is Medicine”!
The Background
At one time, breast cancer survivors, especially those who had lymph nodes removed or had lymphedema, were advised not to use their arms and upper body for anything strenuous or heavy.
But in 1996, a physician in Canada, Dr. Donald McKenzie, tested this idea by studying 24 breast cancer survivors before and after six months of strength training and dragon boating. None of them developed lymphedema. This first team of survivors, Abreast in a Boat, ushered in the beginning of dragon boating for breast cancer survivors around the world.
What We Know Now
More research has confirmed that the vigorous, repetitive activity done in dragon boating does not lead to lymphedema or worsening of lymphedema in women who already have it. This is true even for women who have had lymph nodes removed and/or radiation
Dragon boating, as a form of exercise, leads to a decrease in fatigue. Women who engage in dragon boating report an improved quality of life.
But the big question is, does exercise decrease the chance of recurrence? There is strong evidence that this is true (NCI 2020) (Holmes et al. 2005). A National Cancer Institute study of over a thousand women for fifteen years or until death found that: “Women who engaged in regular physical activity before their cancer diagnosis and after treatment were less likely to have their cancer come back (recur) or to die compared with those who were inactive.”
Why might exercise increase the chances of survival from the disease of breast cancer? Some studies show a link between exercise and a reduction in estrogen. This is especially relevant for women with estrogen-positive breast cancer.
Exercise may stave off or decrease weight gain, often associated with breast cancer treatments, and thus decreases the risk of mortality (Pladen et al. 2015). Muscle contractions themselves may release factors that kill or decrease the growth of cancer cells (Texas A&M Today 2023).