Those who consider themselves perceptive may have noticed a growing trend in the number of men with facial hair during the month of November. In the month of November (now coined Movember), men around the world are encouraged to grow their “mo” to raise awareness around men’s health. The Movember movement began in 2004 and aims to increase awareness of testicular and prostate cancer as well as suicide and mental health in men. Increasing awareness helps to destigmatize these “socially sensitive” topics and encourages more discussion around these often-unspoken issues among men. One of the reasons for the need for awareness is the fact that the outcomes of testicular cancer (and others) are much better when the disease is identified early. In fact, many of the most prevalent cancers are preventable (1).
The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) have listed Prostate Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Melanoma as the current top 5 cancers affecting men. According to Chitha and colleagues (2), cancer care services in South Africa face limited resources that are worsened by a shortage of specialized workforces to manage cancer care, outdated or obsolete equipment, and limited health budgets. While this highlights the issues that need to be addressed in the existing system, it also highlights the need for innovation and alternate strategies in the fight against cancer.
Important definitions:
Testicular Cancer: Testicular cancer comprises the growth of cells that starts in the testicles and is reported to be rare, happen at any age but most often reported between 15-45 years old. The first sign of testicular cancer could be a bump/lump on a testicle, and these cancer cells can grow quickly.
Prostate Cancer: Prostate cancer is more common than testicular cancer but reportedly grows slower and is typically confined to the prostate gland. The function of the prostate gland is to produce seminal fluid which nourishes and transports semen.
One of most under-estimated interventions is regular exercise. Exercise is recognized as a key component in preventing and treating numerous chronic diseases, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and osteoporosis (3). Furthermore, the benefits of incorporating exercise training into cancer care are becoming increasingly recognized (4). Research has found that among men with prostate cancer (PCa), those who lead active lifestyles have better survival rates than those who do not (5,6). For example, one study by Kenfield and colleagues (5) looked at postdiagnosis activity in 2705 PCa cases over an average of 9.7 years. The risk of PCa-specific death was significantly lower (61%) for men reporting ≥3 hours versus <1 hour of vigorous activity per week. Furthermore, men who maintained the highest versus lowest level of vigorous activity pre- and postdiagnosis experienced a nonsignificant 60% lower PCa mortality risk. Similarly, another study (6) looked at disease progression over 22 months following diagnosis in 1455 men with localised PCa. They found that men who walked briskly for ≥3 versus <3 h per week had a 57% lower risk of progression.
The evidence appears to be clear that there are significant benefits of exercise both before and after diagnosis on cancer treatment. Beyond cancer, regular exercise has a myriad of health benefits and should be an important part of one’s lifestyle. Stay tuned for more on the World Health Organization’s guidelines for physical activity and health.
For further cancer support contact your local CANSA Care Centre to access CANSA’s care and support programmes, such as medical equipment hire, wigs, counselling, tele counselling, support groups, online support groups and resources, as well as CANSA Care Homes where patients receiving treatment far from home can stay during treatment. Support and information can also be obtained via the CANSA Help Desk on 0800 22 6622 or email info@cansa.org.za.
To bring you the most evidence-based and cutting information in the fields of sports and exercise science and health, SSISA works alongside the UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport (HPALS) to disseminate the latest research. HPALS research focuses on optimizing human performance and promoting health and well-being through physical activity, sports participation, healthy eating and good sleep hygiene. Their work begins at the DNA, to the human performance laboratory and ultimately to the community. To read more about the Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Research Centre, Division of Physiological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, please see the HPALS website or email Ayesha Hendricks for more information about applications for MSc/PhD research programmes.
To get in touch with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa Group for Research Implementation and Translation (GRIT) Research Consultants, get in touch with Warren Lucas at research@ssisa.com or call 021 650 5728 for enquiries. Read more about the SSISA GRIT Team here.
Yours in Sports Science,
Sports Science Institute of South Africa
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