Female Cancer Survivors Report Worse Health Habits: Survey

MONDAY, Feb. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Female cancer survivors are more likely to smoke and have other unhealthy behaviors than women who have never had cancer, a new study finds.

Researchers compared nearly 20,000 women ageD 35 and older with no history of cancer to more than 2,700 female cancer survivors. Both groups were undergoing mammography screening for breast cancer.

Cancer survivors aged 30 to 49 had higher rates of smoking than women with no cancer history. Cancer survivors were also less likely to engage in strenuous exercise, and were more likely to rate their health as "poor."

Cancer survivors were less likely, however, to drink alcohol at least once a month.

Body-mass index (a measure of body fat based on a person's height and weight) did not differ between the two groups, but cancer survivors reported less weight gain than the noncancer group over the previous five years, according to study author Sarah Rausch, a clinical psychologist and director of integrative medicine at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., and her colleagues.

The study was published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

It's possible that women who have survived cancer could benefit from programs to encourage them to adopt healthier habits, the researchers said.

"The differences in health behaviors between cancer survivors and those with no cancer history afford a 'teachable moment' in which a cancer survivor may be motivated to change behaviors to promote a healthier lifestyle and prevent cancer recurrence," Rausch said in a Moffitt news release.

"As the population of cancer survivors increases, the importance of health status and quality of life of cancer survivors is even more critical," Rausch said. "Approximately 10.5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with cancer. Because of the progress in cancer diagnosis and treatment, there is a growing population of cancer survivors."

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about cancer survivorship.

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7 reasons breast cancer survivors shouldn’t be afraid of menopause

I've watched the breast cancer struggle of a close friend over the past few years. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30s. She fought the toughest fight I've ever watched and she beat that cancer into the ground with a smile on her face and a hop in her step. Now, she has to face the threat of her cancer recurring because she has not passed into menopause. Typically, breast cancer survivors are encouraged to undergo a complete hysterectomy to reduce the risk of relapse or new cancer, but my friend has chosen to keep her womanhood intact. I often wonder, as a woman in her early 30s and in menopause, if there is a fear associated with menopause that stops some breast cancer survivors from having a hysterectomy. Menopause is easy compared to fighting cancer, so here are seven reasons breast cancer survivors shouldn't be afraid of menopause.

Hot flashes don't last forever. I've been in menopause for about five years and I have very few hot flashes. For the first few years I suffered late night hot flashes nearly every night, but they fade.

There are alternatives to estrogen therapy. Estrogen therapy is not an option for breast cancer survivors, but other treatments are available. Doctors can prescribe antidepressants, blood pressure medications and seizure medications to treat hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.

You'll still want to have sex. Many women worry that they'll lose their sex drive after menopause. Nope, I can attest to the fact that you still want to take a trip between the sheets, but sometimes it takes a little more coercion to feel as hot as you did before menopause.

You can still have an orgasm. This was the myth I was worried about when my doctor told me he would be removing my cervix. During an orgasm the cervix moves up and down and I thought this had something to do with the feeling of an orgasm. I was quickly convinced that your cervix is not needed to have an orgasm and I learned for myself in the months following menopause.

Vaginal dryness is painful. Yes, vaginal dryness can be annoying, especially during sex, but there are over the counter lubricants that work wonders. Choose one in a cute bottle that heats or cools to increase sensitivity.

You're still a woman after menopause. I was scared that I would never feel like a woman again, but I was even more scared of turning into a man. Without estrogen I thought my breasts would shrink, I'd start growing facial hair and my voice would lower. That silly thought was soon proven wrong when none of those things happened.

You will be able to lose weight and stay fit. I asked my doctor about testosterone production, as some women in menopause have trouble with low testosterone, which can cause side effects like reduced sex drive. I was told the adrenal gland picks up testosterone production for most women, so I wouldn't lose my ability to build muscle, maintain muscle and feel sexy.

Breast cancer survivors are some of the bravest people in the world, especially my friend and secret muse. I watch her struggles with mammograms and wonder what is keeping her from taking that final step to protect her from another bout of breast cancer. Hopefully, if she is reading, she'll feel a little better about menopause.

More from Summer on Menopause

Is Black Cohosh the Biggest Scam in Natural Menopause Treatment?

I'm Too Womanly for My Own Health: The Link Between Menopause, Fat Loss, and Estrogen Overload

Early Menopause Health Risks: Osteopenia and Osteoporosis

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Cancer survivors line up as opponents in Super Bowl

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - There can only be one winner in Sunday's Super Bowl but for two opposing players, a bigger battle has already been won, victory over cancer.

New York Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich and New England Patriots offensive lineman Marcus Cannon have both had to deal with life-threatening illness and came through their treatment to achieve their sporting dream, a place in the biggest game in American sport.

After an outstanding season for Boston College, Herzlich was diagnosed, in May 2009, with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer affecting bone and soft tissue.

He underwent a six month course of chemotherapy and radiation and also needed surgery and a titanium rod inserted into his leg, which remains in place to strengthen his bone.

The linebacker said his aim of making it in the National Football League (NFL) motivated him through the arduous treatment.

"Playing football again was the goal and that really pushed me. After six hours of chemotherapy you're sitting there and your body just feels drained," he said.

"You don't want to move but I said 'I am going to be playing football again in eight months, so I need to go and workout. I need to go ride a bike, get some cardio in."

Herzlich said he made a highlights video of his 2008 season to keep him motivated.

"I would put that on in the chemo room and watch it over and over again just to see myself succeeding," he said.

"The physical pain was intense. The pain that I would get in my leg and my lower back felt like knives being stabbed into my legs. The pain coming after the surgery where I had to get the scar tissue kind of kneaded out with massage and stuff.

"That was probably the worst pain I have ever been in because they had to actually tear the muscle off the bone and tear the scar tissue away. I was screaming on the massage table," said Herzlich.

Cannon's treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma was less painful but going through chemotherapy inevitably weakened him.

"I still had faith I was going to get into the NFL, I didn't know if I was going to get drafted or not but I still believed I would play in the league," he told Reuters.

"I was blessed not to get all the side effects that so many other people get."

Cannon entered the draft but his illness pushed him down the list. Nonetheless the Patriots took him in round five with the 138th pick.

After missing training camp and the early part of the season due to his treatment, Cannon was finally activated in week ten of the season and was part of the team which beat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Conference game two weeks ago to secure a Super Bowl spot.

"The confetti was coming down and I'm sat there thinking how am I supposed to feel? It's hard to take all of this in," he said.

Herzlich returned to college football in 2010 but went undrafted and his only contract offer came from the minor UFL league, a chance he turned down to keep alive his dream of reaching the NFL.

The Giants picked him up as an undrafted free agent in July and he featured in 11 games this season.

Herzlich says his doctors played a perfect game but knows he has won one of the toughest challenges anyone can face.

"I think it is a little bit of a miracle. It's a case of beating the odds," he said.

(Editing by Julian Linden)

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