This is a question that Dr. Carolyn McIntyre, a scientist at Australia’s Edith Cowan University; Professor Gary Lee of Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, a renowned authority in mesothelioma throughout the world; and Professor Rob Newton, an expert in exercise as medicine for cancer, will study over the next three years.
Health of patients with lung cancer and other cancers has already demonstrated improvment with a regular exercise program. Now there will be research specifically on mesothelioma patients due to new funding from Cancer Council WA. These patients often experience fatigue and muscle loss that limits their ability to enjoy life. According to Dr. McIntyre, “We are hoping to show that a tailored exercise program can promote muscle strength, mobility, and confidence in patients, which will hopefully lead to improvements in quality of life.”
Patients in this program will participate in supervised exercise sessions two to three times per week over a period of six to eight weeks.
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer that affects the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen and is still incurable despite new treatments. This cancer is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos. Dr. McIntyre states this research will influence clinical practice as doctors address the unmet needs of mesothelioma patients.
