Training, Cancer & Chemotherapy?

[johnkuc]

I was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer. I'm halfway through Chemo now & feel like absolute shit. The Dr has told me to exercise but has warned that the drugs will weaken my tendons & muscles & I have to cut down the weight by 50%.

Does anyone here have any experience with this?

I do a few barbell complexes to keep in shape when I feel ok & deadlifted 300 lbs just to test myself but I feel weaker than a kitten.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Out of my expertise. Guys?

[BreezerD]

Sorry that I can't be of any help, but the fact that you are able to deadlift 300lb during Chemo cycles is very inspiring. Good luck with your recovery.

[Tuesday]

If you're in the US, you should be able to get a prescription for Cesamet--a synthetic cannabinoid similar to TCH--from your doc since it has been FDA approved since '06 for treating nausea and vomiting in chemo patients. Though from what I've read it's not as effective at curbing the nausea and general shitty feeling from chemo or at improving appetite as smoking pot.

As for weaker muscles and tendons/ligaments, because chemo is poison designed to kill cells, it's believable. But I suspect that because of the side effects of the chemo you feel weaker than you actually are and that your doctor is probably being conservative with his 50% estimate.

One of the other things that I've found interesting is that since tumor cells are very metabolically active, they run predominately--and some even exclusively--on glucose. In fact this interesting bit of information is used to detect tumors by feeding the patient radioactive glucose (high in carbon 14, harmless to the patient) and putting them in a PET machine (the tumors show up on scans as concentrations of the radioactive glucose). Although there's been some success at starving out tumors by depriving them of glucose, there's been a limited amount of interest in this from the research community and most of the studies on reduced CHO diets and cancer I've found date from the mid 90s.

If it were me on chemo, I'd probably smoke pot, eat paleo, and keep lifting like I meant it. But I'm not you. And I'm kind of stupid to boot.

[Spud]

helped a mate of mine with breast cancer, got her training body weight and kettle bells, we had to be really careful about bruising etc. some days she was really good other days shite. It helped her keep positive and feel like a human again. The day she did her first body weight pull up she was over the moon, a very happy women.
Take it easy monitor what you do, dont beat yourself up for having a bad day and remember a bad day with the iron in your hands is better than a good day at the office.
beat the big "C" and you"ll be strong for the rest of your life.

good luck and best wishes

Cheers Spud

[TPrewittMD]

John, sorry about your circumstances and hope that you do well. Good thing is that testicular cancer is very treatable and curable.

I am unaware of any effects of chemotherapy causing weakness of tendons and muscle. Adriamycin has long been recognized as a chemo agent that will impede wound healing and can cause heart problems in higher doses, but most testicular cancer uses a platinum-based regimen. Do you mind describing exactly what you are taking?

There is ample data that in general supports exercise in cancer patients, at least in breast cancer. Breast cancer patients have improved quality of life, lean muscle mass, endurance, better morale, etc. with exercise programs.
(I am a surgeon and will be a full-time surgical oncologist in an academic setting beginning in April.)

Being sick and taking meds takes a lot out of you. Platinum can be particularly tough. This is one time where you may not want to set weekly PRs as your physical resources will be going towards other things, but in general, I think patients do better when they keep their activity levels up. Resistance exercise is vital to retain muscle mass and strength, no way around it.

That being said, most patients would find it hard to contradict their doctor under such extreme circumstances. I am intrigued by his assertion that chemo will increase your risk of injury and would love to know what you are taking so that I can look into this.

[titan]

Along with BreezerD, I can't be of much help other than to say you are an inspiration to me personally for going through such a terrible time with your sickness and still wanting to lift.

Awe-inspiring!

[johnkuc]

Thanks for the answers!