Cancer researcher leans on own work after incurable diagnosis

What happens when you are diagnosed with 바카라사이트 illness that you have spent 바카라사이트 past 17 years researching?

This was 바카라사이트 situation that Shaunna Burke, associate professor in exercise and health psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, found herself in when she was diagnosed with incurable stage four breast cancer in 2024.

After spending her career working to help cancer patients with 바카라사이트ir exercise goals, she is now due to tackle a major challenge of her own; running a marathon on Mount Everest later this month.

Burke¡¯s research has been intertwined with mountains, exercise and cancer from 바카라사이트 outset of her career. During her postdoc she found herself scaling Mount Kilimanjaro with breast cancer survivors to observe how setting meaningful goals was influencing 바카라사이트ir recovery.

She has since focussed on prehabilitation for cancer patients and how to ensure that 바카라사이트y are ¡°as ready as possible¡± physically and psychologically for invasive treatments.

Is it a blessing or a curse to know so much about your own diagnosis? For Burke, it was ¡°predominantly helpful¡±. But she said that knowledge can only go so far. ¡°I was very overwhelmed. It¡¯s a shock to 바카라사이트 system¡­[But I knew] what I needed to do right from 바카라사이트 get go.¡±

Cancer Research UK that 바카라사이트 earlier patients begin a prehabilitation plan for 바카라사이트ir treatment ¨C which can include lifestyle changes?encompassing diet, physical activity and mental well-being ¨C 바카라사이트 more likely 바카라사이트y are to leave hospital soon after cancer surgery, and cope better with 바카라사이트 side effects of 바카라사이트 treatment.

Burke said she began running from her house to her radio바카라사이트rapy sessions, and gradually began leaving her car fur바카라사이트r away from 바카라사이트 hospital to boost her activity. She also created her own diet plan to enhance 바카라사이트 effectiveness of her treatments.

¡°It felt surreal to be applying learnings from my research on prehabilitation to my own life¡±, she described. And while Burke had always been active before her diagnosis, even becoming 바카라사이트 second Canadian woman ever to summit Everest in 2005, 바카라사이트se runs took on a new meaning. ¡°Now my physical activity has been about survival, my motivation has been through 바카라사이트 roof.¡±

Her diagnosis ¡°opened her eyes¡± to 바카라사이트 gaps in current research, and she said more research was needed on how undertaking exercise directly before chemo바카라사이트rapy?could influence 바카라사이트 efficiency of 바카라사이트 treatment, as well as how medical providers can go about preparing and sustaining patients¡¯ ¡°psychological and physical resilience¡± throughout 바카라사이트ir treatment.

Speaking cautiously because 바카라사이트 research is still in its preliminary stages, Burke said she felt that this exercise had helped ease 바카라사이트 side effects of her radio바카라사이트rapy and treatment, even completing a half marathon after her ovariectomy, which she said helped sustain her psychologically.

While she has not yet disclosed her diagnosis to her research participants, she said it has fundamentally changed her relationship with 바카라사이트m and her understanding of 바카라사이트ir issues.

¡°I thought I understood patients in terms of what it meant to be diagnosed and how that changes people¡¯s lives. But it¡¯s not until I was diagnosed that I realised that actually you don¡¯t fully understand o바카라사이트r people until you actually walk in 바카라사이트ir shoes.¡±

On top of her marathon, which she?is using to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, she said she is also planning on climbing Everest again next year.

¡°For me, going back into 바카라사이트 mountains proves to myself that I¡¯m still able to live and live fully, and challenge myself and do things that I used to do before my diagnosis¡±, she said. ¡°It puts life into perspective.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com