SEATTLE, Wash. – Diane Mapes punches a bag in the gym, but for the past four years, she's been fighting another opponent, breast cancer.
"I got the full Monty with regard to treatment, um double mastectomy, chemotherapy, and then radiation," she said.
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Mapes adds that staying active during and after treatment kept her energy levels up.
"Exercise, in general, it made a big difference for me," Mapes explained.
Anne McTiernan, PhD, MD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, recently conducted an analysis of 85 studies that included more than 160,000 breast cancer survivors. One key finding was that patients who exercise live longer.
"Being as active as they can be for about 30 minutes a day, five days a week," McTiernan said.
Another important factor for survival was maintaining a healthy weight.
McTiernan explained, "Women who are obese or overweight had about a 30 to 50% increased risk of dying either of breast cancer or of dying overall."
To lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. One pound equals 3,500 calories, so you need to reduce your calories by 500 to 1,000 per day to lose about two pounds per week. The researchers also found eating foods that contain fiber and soy, and consuming less saturated fat meant a longer life for cancer patients.
Mapes says boxing helps her channel the anger she has toward the cancer and the treatments.
"When I box, I always think of Taxotere, which took my hair and, and kind of messed with my joints and still does," she said.
The American Institute for Cancer Research has a few recommendations for cancer prevention. Following these can help you remain as healthy as possible while fighting off cancer:
Maintaining a healthy diet, participating in daily physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight all are important factors in this process. To learn more about how each of these 10 recommendations can help with prevention go to http://www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancer-risk/recommendations-for-cancer-prevention/.