Lifestyle Challenges in Endometrial Cancer Survivorship

Abstract

II.

Lifestyle-related biomarkers and endometrial cancer survival: Elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase as an important risk factor

“…Furthermore, overweight is believed to play a major role in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer and is closely associated with other medical co-morbidities like diabetes mellitus and hypertension. As von Gruenigen et al stated, endometrial cancer survivors often have unhealthy lifestyles with unfavourable consequences [37]. We also found the patients in this study in a bad condition with adverse clinical findings at baseline.…”

“…Hypertension was also reported to be common among endometrial cancer patients in a cohort study based in Ohio [37] and has been shown to be associated with an increased risk of cancer mortality in general [38]. In the large population-based MeCan cohort study, elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found to contribute significantly to higher risks of fatal uterine corpus cancer, with adjustment for several (metabolic) covariates [17].…”

Quality of life in long-term survivors of early stage endometrial cancer

“…Treatment for EC is often quite morbid and may involve multiple modalities (surgery, radiation and chemotherapy). Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy in EC is frequently associated with considerable normal tissue injury that may compromise patient QOL such as small and large bowel complications, urinary complications, and vaginal atrophy [8,9,10,11,12,13].…”

Female Cancer Survivorship and Obesity

“…Moreover, Courneya and colleagues demonstrated that cancer survivors who met exercise guidelines were more likely to be of normal weight. Continued work by von Gruenigen et al [51] provides further support by showing that 90% of obese endometrial cancer survivors had dangerous amounts of abdominal obesity as well as poor physical activity patterns--80% reported no strenuous exercise and 54% did not even participate in moderate exercise. Likewise, a 6-month physical activity intervention in cancer survivors demonstrated that women with higher BMI and larger waist circumference adhered to fewer minutes of physical activity and did not meet the prescribed 150 min/week of moderate intensity exercise [52].…”

“…Von Gruenigen et al [76] used a whole systems approach in a 6-month lifestyle intervention program supporting physical activity, dietary compliance of fruits and vegetables, and counseling to improve self-efficacy and quality of life. As a result, significant increases in physical activity, daily intake of fruits and vegetables, and significant weight loss were achieved, thus providing evidence that a combination of lifestyle changes leads to improved weight loss [77,78]. Nevertheless, dietary and exercise recommendations for cancer survivorship and weight loss remain controversial.…”