College of Rehabilitation Sciences instructor Mr. Jon Timothy M. Rivero from the Department of Physical Therapy presented his research at the 15th Asia Pacific Hospice and Palliative Care (APHC) Conference 2023 held at Songdo Convensia, Incheon, South Korea from October 4 to 7, 2023.
In his work, he looked into the potential benefits of exercise to improve the overall quality of life of patients who have been diagnosed with cancer and have not yet received any curative treatment. It was found that there is moderate certainty in the evidence that exercise can increase the physiologic biomarker peak VO2 which has previously been determined as a strong predictor of all-cause mortality. Low levels of oxygen consumption is also strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, a leading non-cancer cause of death among cancer survivors. Improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness leads to better physical functioning and psychosocial well-being of these patients.
Rivero’s paper takes into consideration the social aspect of a cancer diagnosis where not all cancer patients can afford curative treatment. He states that treatment alternatives should be made available to help such group as they face the challenges of cancer without sacrificing quality of life. Rivero aims to contribute to this by finding ways to palliate physical functioning of patients affected, not only with cancer, but with all types of chronic and life-limiting conditions.
