1–7 April National Cancer Week: 10 Recommendations for Physical Well-Being During Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatment is a multifaceted process that is not limited to focusing on the disease alone. Cancer rehabilitation, which covers physical, mental and cognitive domains, helps prevent fatigue, pain and movement limitations arising during treatment from making daily life more difficult. Prof. Dr. Semih Akı, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist at Anadolu Sağlık Merkezi, emphasizes that supporting physical function is critical for preserving patients' mobility and improving quality of life.
1–7 April National Cancer Week: 10 Recommendations for Physical Wellbeing During Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatment is a multifaceted process that extends beyond focusing solely on the disease. Cancer rehabilitation, which encompasses physical, psychological and cognitive areas, helps prevent fatigue, pain and movement limitations that arise during treatment from making daily life difficult. Prof. Dr. Semih Akı, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist at Anadolu Sağlık Merkezi, emphasizes that supporting physical functions is critical in maintaining patients' movement capacity and improving quality of life.
10 recommendations from Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist Prof. Dr. Semih Akı:
–Design your exercise programme under expert guidance and tailored to your individual needs.
–Start at a low level; even short-duration movements provide benefits.
–Divide exercise into segments throughout the day.
–Make movement enjoyable through group activities or music you enjoy.
–Be mindful of moving more in daily life (e.g. parking further away).
–Track your step count using a pedometer or applications.
–Wear comfortable clothing and drink sufficient water.
–Perform warm-up before exercise and stretching movements afterwards.
–Stop exercising if you do not feel well.
–Share accompanying conditions such as anaemia with your doctor.
Prof. Dr. Akı notes that particularly in patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, movement is critical for both physical and psychological wellbeing, and emphasizes that cancer rehabilitation programmes must be individually tailored according to the type and stage of the disease.
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