Endurance athletes with breast cancer

JOANWILL55

Hello. I don't mean to be self-centered. But, after being extremely healthy for 66 years (I only got a cold once three to five years), my breast cancer prompts me to wonder WHAT DID I DO WRONG. Could it be my exercise? It work out seven hours a week, including running 30 miles at 7mp, and two hours on the elliptical machine. I had extremely dense breasts - the source of my BC, I believe.

By the way, I don't drink, or smoke. Have no family history of cancer. Actually, my parents and their mothers and sisters all live well beyond 80. My father lived to 98. The only risk factor is I was never pregnant.

We don't know enough about the cause of cancer. Who is to say too much exercise is not the cause? I want to know how many endurance athletes got BC.

Gully

Hello Joan,

I run about 40 hours per week depending on my race schedule. I was dx with bilateral IDC at 45. My MO says it was just "bad luck" I did not do anything risky. No smoking, no genetic history yada yada yada. All kinds of people get all kinds of cancers and all ages and no one knows what causes it. Everyones cancer is different. Sorry you are in this boat with the rest of us. Hugs

Gully

Mominator

Hello Joan, welcome to bro.org.

Since this Forum is for Comments, Suggestions, and Feature Requests, you might not get many responses to your question.

You may want go to All Topics: "Day-to-Day Matters" and then find the Forum listed as "Fitness and getting back into shape." Those folks post the most about fitness, and may have some insights into your question.

Another place you might want to try is "Connecting with others who have a similar diagnosis, and then scrolling down to your diagnosis. But I suspect those threads are more focused on the diagnosis then the fitness aspect.

Good luck.

KBeee

Sorry you are dealing with this. Most studies show that people who exercise have a lower risk of breast cancer. Low risk does not equal no risk, and it can happen to anyone. Your fitness level will however, help your body deal with whatever treatments you'll need. I exercise daily and enjoy distance running; I tolerated treatments, including chemo, very well. Unfortunately no one is immune from this disease. Sorry you find yourself here. Keep exercising. It will help

ElaineTherese

Hi Joan!

Many, many breast cancer patients have been diagnosed despite 1) maintaining a healthy weight; 2) eating well; 3) exercising; and 4) lacking a history of cancer in their families. Based on your post, you have two risk factors (other than never getting pregnant): 1) you're a woman; and 2) you're getting older. Frankly, I think that getting cancer is just bad luck. And KBee is right; because you're so (otherwise healthy), you're in a good position to undergo treatment, whatever that may be.

Best wishes!

Claire_in_Seattle

Another one who does endurance events and I support the above statements. I also want to point out that you most likely will be able to exercise throughout active treatment. I did...just dialed things down a bit. I skipped all the problems resulting from deconditioning. About 3 years later, I was fitter than ever. I have done 9 cycling events/rides of 60 miles or longer this summer. Just got back from a whirlwind cycling and vineyard camping adventure.

You may want to think about what it will take to preserve your core fitness. So scale back those runs, but continue to do them. I took the view that I might as well be dragging and exercised as opposed to just dragging. I did at least a one mile walk every single day. I remember one time when I was cycling much slower than normal I told myself that few women are fit enough to cycle 20 miles, and they aren't doing chemo!

There is even evidence that suggests that exercise increases the effectiveness of chemo. I don't know if this is true, but it certainly makes chemo a lot easier.

So good luck. You should be absolutely fine. - Claire