Exercise promotes health and wellness, helps you maintain your weight, and can reduce the risk of cancer or a recurrence of cancer. If you currently have cancer, exercise can be part of your routine, once your treatment team says it is safe for you to do so. When cancer spreads, or metastasizes, to the bones, you may have to modify your activities, but you may not have to stop completely. Consult with your doctor about your bone metastases before exercising.
What are Bone Metastases?
Bone cancer and bone metastases are not the same thing. Bone cancer is cancer that has originated in the bones, whereas bone metastases occur when cancer that has started elsewhere in the body has spreads to the bones. Common cancers in which this happens include breast, lung, prostate, kidney, thyroid and multiple myeloma, states Novartis Oncology. When cancer has spread to the bones, the natural processes of bone repair and strengthening can be affected, leading to damage to the bones. Although this is not curable, there are treatments that can help control symptoms and prevent further damage to the bones.
Symptoms of Bone Metastases
Some individuals with bone metastases have no symptoms, whereas other individuals may present with serious symptoms like spinal cord compression, when the cancer spreads to the spine and compresses the spinal cord. According to the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, pain is the most common symptom of bone metastasis, although not all bone pain signifies the spread of cancer. A bone fracture may occur because of bone metastases that have weakened the bones. Exercise that normally would not have caused a broken bone may cause a fracture if the bones are already weakened by the cancer.
Metastases and Exercise
Exercise usually is safe and healthy for cancer patients, bu individuals with bone metastases may need to take extra precautions to avoid fractures or injury. The American Cancer Society, or ACS, suggests exercising on even surfaces to avoid the risk of falls, and avoiding any weight-bearing exercises that can throw off your balance and cause you to fall. Heavy weightlifting and high-impact activities that put a lot of stress or weight on your bones should be avoided as well, says the ACS. Non-weight-bearing exercise like swimming may be a good option for those with bone metastases.
Considerations
If you have bone metastases, do not start an exercise routine without first talking with your oncologist or treatment team to make sure it is safe for you to do so. Talk with your doctor about exercises you should avoid, and activities that may be less stressful on your bones and joints. In addition to chemotherapy and radiation, you may want to consult with your doctor to see if drugs called bisphosphonates may be of help with your metastases. These are drugs that help slow down the damage to your bones, lower your risk of fractures and may help reduce bone pain, states Novartis Oncology.
