You have to exercise and no, you don't need to go to a gym, just walking at a certain speed for half an hour is enough. If more is better. But if not, that's fine too; the important thing is to move. Because doing physical activity reduces the risk of having breast and colon cancer (the most numerous), also bladder, endometrium, esophagus and stomach cancer by up to 30%. That's in terms of prevention. In the case of developing a tumor, physical activity reduces the risk of mortality by almost 20%, at least in the cases of the breast and colon, the most studied. But this protective effect could occur in others such as prostate and lung.
For this reason, the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (Seom) is committed to prescribing physical exercise to cancer patients as another treatment. And they advocate creating oncological physical activity units, something that they have no doubt will soon become a reality. Because the benefits are many: in addition to improving quality of life and reducing the side effects of treatments, it strengthens the immune system, increases cardiorespiratory capacity and improves the perception of health.
Despite this, “few cancer patients remain physically active due to the lack of information from health professionals and the reluctance of patients due to side effects. But this must change,” said César A. Rodríguez, president of Seom, yesterday at the presentation of the Exercise against Cancer event on the occasion of World Cancer Day, which is celebrated on February 4.
At that event, the Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (Redecan) released the report Cancer figures in 2024, which estimates that 286,664 new cases will be diagnosed this year, 2.6% more than in 2023, especially for colorectal, breast and lung tumors. The latter is consolidated as the third most common in women as its incidence has tripled in the last 20 years due to tobacco consumption.
In addition, an increase in mortality is expected, which will go from 113,000 deaths in 2020 to more than 150,000 in 2040, as is survival, which has doubled in the last 40 years and will continue to rise, although slowly, thanks to new treatments and the greater implementation of screening, indicated Rodríguez.
The president of Redecan, Jaume Galceran, explained that the increase in cases is due to population growth and aging (60% of tumors appear after the age of 65). Also risk factors, such as tobacco, alcohol, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. And to the generalization of screening programs.
