David Haas

Whether you were just diagnosed, are undergoing treatment, or are in remission of cancer- physical fitness is one of the best things that you can do for your health. Research has proven that a consistent exercise routine has many benefits.

Exercise is beneficial for your overall health and quality of life. It improves your circulation, the health of your bones, and increases your appetite. It also greatly improves the health of your muscles by rebuilding lost muscle mass. Research has found that exercise can also decrease nausea and pain, and that cardiovascular activity can boost your immune system. Another benefit of regular exercise is that it reduces fatigue and creates an energy balance in your body. Suggestive, but by no means definitive studies show exercising may make you have a less likely chance of relapsing and dying from cancer.

Tags: cancer nutrition, exercise, fitness

The following is the final installment in my series on the importance of cancer support groups. As we've been highlighting different lung cancer news throughout November, the following is an interview with Amy Copeland,  Director of Community Services for the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Amy oversees the listing of cancer support groups, helps train volunteers and manages those who participate in the phone buddy peer support program. Amy also helps monitor question and answer sessions on the cancer support forums on the Lung Cancer Alliance's website.

Tags: Lung Cancer Alliance, Lung cancer awareness month, support groups

Mary Hesdorffer is a nurse practitioner working with The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. She oversees the various support groups that MARF has to offer for those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, their family members, and people who have lost a loved one to this deadly disease. She can be reached at mhesdorffer@curemeso.org.

The following is a discussion she and I had over the phone last week.

Given that November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month I’ve decided to contribute to the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance blog with a post about different types of lung cancer support groups. To introduce myself, my name is David Haas and I am a patient advocate and researcher for the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance. I will be writing posts about my research, the benefits of cancer support groups, and the benefits of physical fitness for those diagnosed with cancer or undergoing cancer treatment. This will serve as part one of a three-part series regarding cancer support networks and their benefits. I have interviewed specialists from both the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (MARF) and the Lung Cancer Alliance.

Cancer support groups are extremely important to the psyche of the patient who is going through a diagnosis of any kind of cancer. These groups are very willing to give not only information about the cancer they are going through, but also provide a sense of camaraderie and positive outlook towards beating that cancer. While getting information from one’s doctor is extremely valuable, one can also benefit from hearing different views of people who are going through the same treatments. When attending a support group, one can receive information from a variety of different people such as practitioners, people who are going through the same cancer, and people who have beat that cancer. These people can share valuable tips on how they coped with their treatments and also how they kept their body and mind strong through one of life's more difficult ordeals.

Tags: Lung Cancer Alliance, Lung cancer awareness month, mesothelioma, mesothelioma applied research foundation, support groups