Vol. 87, No. 5, May 2007, p. 615
DOI: 10.2522/ptj.2007.87.5.615
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Book, Multimedia, and Software Reviews |
Cancer Prevention and Management Through Exercise and Weight Control
McTiernan A, ed. Boca Raton, FL 33487, CRC Press, 2006, hardcover, 608 pp, illus, ISBN: 1-57444-907-9, $139.95.
This book is the fifth in a series of titles that address various topics in nutrition and disease prevention. This multi-authored book is a collection of 35 chapters organized into 8 sections, each covering different aspects of the complex relationships among body weight, physical activity, cancer incidence, and cancer prognosis. Although there is general agreement that up to a third of all cancer deaths could be prevented by changing dietary habits, avoiding weight gain, and adopting a more active lifestyle, the complex relationships between these factors are just beginning to be determined. Each chapter provides a short review and summary of research studies that have addressed a variety of methodological, epidemiological, experimental, and clinical issues related to the prevention and management of different cancers through physical activity and body-weight management.
The first section of the book consists of 3 chapters that address issues related to the research methods used in each of these fields. These chapters include discussions of observational studies; discussions of the large number of variables that have to be accounted for when considering the relationships among activity, weight, and cancer; and descriptions of how physical activity and body weight are measured. The second section of the book contains short reviews of what is known about the relationship between physical activity and breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
The chapters in the third section of the book discuss mechanisms that may underlie the inverse relationship between physical activity and the incidence of cancer. The chapters include reviews on what is known about the relationships between exercise and sex hormones, insulin, and immune function. The chapters in this section also summarize results from animal models and from the relatively few studies that have looked at the effect of specific physical exercise interventions on the incidence and prognosis of some cancers in humans. A brief chapter in this section introduces the concept of genetic differences in the responsiveness to exercise and the significance of this approach to exercise prescription and the risk of developing certain cancers.
Chapters in the fourth section review current knowledge about the association between body weight and the incidence of breast, colorectal, endometrial, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers. The fifth section discusses the mechanisms that may underlie the link between excess body weight and the increased risk of cancer, including chapters that cover what is known about obesity and sex hormones, insulin resistance, and inflammation. There also are a review of what has been learned from animal models about the mechanisms that underlie the association between obesity and cancer and a review of the role of genetics in obesity.
The sixth and seventh sections focus on the relationships between physical activity and cancer prognosis and between weight management and cancer prognosis, respectively, with an emphasis on quality-of-life issues. The final section includes chapters that review the literature on physical activity and diet and weight control and that provide recommendations on physical activity and diet for prevention and management of cancer. The chapter on physical activity and energy balance and the chapter on promoting physical activity in people who have survived cancer will likely be of greatest interest to physical therapists, because these chapters include recommendations for managing weight through physical activity and exercises for people who have survived cancer. The authors have referenced each chapter extensively, and there is a thorough index.
The organization of the chapters into sections is logical, and each chapter includes a list of contents at the beginning. Although there is some variability in the organization of each chapter, most chapters end with a helpful summary. The writing is direct and concise, and, although there are a total of 49 contributing authors, the writing style is relatively consistent, and there is minimal redundancy. Twenty-nine of the 35 chapters include at least one clear and helpful table or figure. This book was not written for the general public but would be of value to any clinician who works with patients who have cancer and those who have survived it. It would be an especially helpful resource to anyone who wants to learn more about the current state of knowledge in the relatively new linkage of cancer management, obesity, genetics, and physical activity.
AE Kincaid, PT, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, Creighton University, Omaha, Neb
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