PT in kidney cancer
Physiotherapists could have key role to play in preventing kidney cancer
- physiotherapists could have a key role to play in helping overweight people to move more to lower their risk of becoming obese and developing kidney cancer, after the two conditions were closely linked in a recent report.
- According to figures from Cancer Research UK, there has been a 40 per cent rise in diagnoses of kidney cancer in the country over the past ten years. At the same time, obesity levels have risen, with experts believing this has been the factor behind an additional 20,000 cases of the disease in the last decade.As a result, encouraging people to do more exercise could be a key part of reducing the prevalence of future diagnoses of kidney cancer, with physiotherapists raising awareness of the potential consequences of failure to do so over the long term. Alongside kidney cancer, other health risks associated with obesity include cardiovascular disease and heart failure.
- Cancer Research UK believes that unless action is taken soon to lower obesity levels, there will be a further 26 per cent increase in new cases of kidney cancer between now and 2035, making it one of the fastest-growing types of the disease.
However, just half an hour of extra movement each day could be enough for overweight people to lower their risk of developing obesity and subsequent kidney problems.
Speaking to the Guardian, Sarah Toule of the World Cancer Research Fund explained: “If everyone was a healthy weight, around 25,000 cancer cases could be prevented every year in the UK.
“There are simple ways people can help maintain a healthy weight, such as cutting out high-calorie food and drinks and doing at least 30 minutes of exercise every day.”
Although it wouldn’t be feasible for everyone who is overweight in the UK to receive formal physiotherapy to increase their exercise levels, physiotherapists can still play an important role in raising awareness of the potential dangers of a lack of exercise to get overweight people moving more.
