Carcinogenesis is associated with a lack of exercise. Persistent exercise is essential for effective treatment, which can prevent cancer recurrence. This is because:
-The growth stimulating hormone including oestrogen, insulin and insulin-like growth factors can promote breast cancer, prostate cancer and other solid tumor occurrence. Exercise can reduce the levels of these hormones; it can also reduce insulin resistance, decreasing insulin levels of the body.
-Oxidative stress can produce free radicals, which are reactive molecules that can promote cancer occurrence. Exercise can stimulate enzyme production to eliminate these free radicals;
-Exercise can enhance the immune system, especially the generation and vigour of natural killer (NK) cells to prevent cancer cell metastasis. Exercise can promote muscles to release glutamine that can stimulate NK cells.
-Inflammation can promote cancer development, exercise can increase the activity of anti- inflammatory molecules, thereby slowing the development of cancer.
-Exercise can regulate a patient’s mood, promote sleep, and reduce anxiety and depression. It is considered that exercise can directly increase the level of a substance in the brain which reduces depression.
-Exercise can promote blood circulation and improve oxygen and nutrient supply of tissues, cancer develops slowly in aerobic conditions.
-Exercise can reduce blood viscosity and platelet aggregation, thereby reducing thrombosis that often occurs in cancer patients.
-Exercise can improve digestive function and promote nutrient absorption especially the absorption of trace elements.
-Exercise can promote bowel movements, reducing the transit time of intestinal contents and reduce or prevent constipation.
The intensity and manner of exercise vary with each individual. The exercise intensity should be appropriate for each individual. As mentioned above, intense and excessive exercises may promote free radical generation. After exercise, the body will experience a slight raise in temperature, mild sweating, feel energized, aid mental and physical relaxation, promote appetite and sleep which all indicate that the exercise is appropriate. If these benefits do not occur then the exercise amount should be adjusted so that the body and mind remain in optimal condition to help facilitate recovery.
One expert who has studied the relationship of exercise and pathology said that any form of exercise has its optimum frequency and aptitude. Take the heartbeat for example, the normal heartbeat is 70 BPM, it is not good for the heartbeat to accelerate to 120 BPM or 150 BPM. Many athletes do not live long because their exercise intensity exceeds the frequency and aptitude they should sustain. If a candle burns strongly, its life must end soon. But the heartbeat cannot always stay between 70 BPM and 80 BPM. If once or twice a week, the heartbeat is up to 100 BPM or even 120 BPM (not to exceed 150 BPM), your blood flow accelerates, which is equal to make a thorough cleaning of your house. A thorough clean-up once to twice a week or so can clear the waste away from every corner through the blood circulation which accelerates body metabolism.
I usually exercise moderately for thirty to forty minutes in the morning. My exercise regime consists of walking one hundred steps per minute for a continuous fifteen minutes, stooping, twisting my waist, flexing and extending arms and legs one hundred times each; foot massage (with roller) for two hundred rotations then sitting or standing still for ten to fifteen minutes. I play badminton for an hour once a week. During the day at work, I make time to do appropriate joint movements.
I advocate that exercise should be leisurely and joyful. Siting or standing still in the yard, I feel quite in my heart, overlooking the blue sky, silently appreciating the clouds, breathing freely to renew myself indulging in the beauty of nature and humanity.
Guo Lin Qigong appears to be a type of special exercise which combines flexibility and yielding integrating aerobic respiration with limb movements and was invented by the Chinese lady Guo Lin. “Integrate Oncology” published in the US regards Guo Lin Qigong as one of the integrated therapies for cancer. In Malaysia, there is a National Research Society of Guo Lin Qigong that has many study groups every year. It had members of up to 2,500 people. Guo Lin Qigong is very popular, which can be described with an old Chinese saying “one’s accomplishments are easily known outside his own unit. “On September 27, 2012, I was invited by its former president Mr. Luo Yunqi to attend their first reunion with cancer patients who celebrated ‘five years’ (already survived for 5 years), the fiveyear birthday so to speak, in Johor Bahru (the city in the southernmost part of Malaysia, separated from Singapore by a river). Since I was more than ‘six years old’, I was selected as the guest of honor and requested to cut the 'birthday' cake (Figure 37).
The album issued by the National Research Society of Guo Lin Qigong recorded the survival condition of cancer patients. There were 186 cancer patients who had survived for 5 to 9 years, 80 cancer patients had survived for 10 to 14 years, 14 cancer patients had survived for 15 to 19 years and 5 cancer patients had survived for 20 to 26 years.
I recently interviewed some cancer patients full of the miracle of life.
-Mr. Feng Zengfa, 63 years old, suffered from nasopharyngeal cancer in 1999 and received radiotherapy. After 3 months, the patient had multiple lung metastases and received chemotherapy six times, 2/3 of lesions were eliminated. In 2004 a CT scan showed continued pulmonary metastasis. Thereafter he practiced Guo Lin Qigong and took traditional Chinese medicine. Currently he is free from discomfort (Figure 38).
-Huang Kunxing, 68 years old, suffered from colon cancer in 1999, he underwent a surgical resection of his cancerous bowel which further discovered liver metastasis, the tumor size was about 5.8 cm. He was given chemotherapy, but the metastasis did not disappear. He had been practising Guo Lin Qigong to date. Two years ago he had renal insufficiency for unknown reasons, for about a year he accepted haemodialysis. Currently he feels good about himself. (Figure 39)
-Wu Qiucai, a 63-year-old man had liver cancer with lung metastasis. He could not tolerate chemotherapy, so he abandoned the treatment and practiced Guo Lin Qigong. He has survived for twelve years.
-A 67-year-old man, Mr. Xiao Jiaxiang underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer. During the surgery, a 4.5 cm pancreatic tumor was found on the pancreatic head with peripancreatic lymph node metastasis and vascular invasion. The pathological result revealed adenocarcinoma. He practiced Guo Lin Qigong after surgery. So far he has survived for seven years and there is no evidence of recurrence (Figure 40).
-Mr. Wang Jinding, 56-year-old lung cancer patient underwent a biopsy which showed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. His condition improved after he received oral medication with a targeted drug called Iressa. However, afterwards the cancer spread to the bilateral lungs. He did not receive further treatments, instead he began to practice Qigong, and so far it has been 6 years. Although there are still lung metastases, he is in good condition, leading his normal life.
It is difficult to judge whether Guo Lin Qigong contributed to the survival of these patients. But as a sport, its role is undeniable. I have a neighbour in my hometown of Jiangsu Province that suffered from stomach cancer 3 years ago, an endoscopic examination showed there was an ulcerative protruded lesion in the cardia and the pathological result revealed undifferentiated adenocarcinoma. His tumor had spread to supraclavicular lymph nodes and he received two cycles of chemotherapy. But because he could not bear the sidem effects, he gave up on the treatments. Instead he exercised at home walking forward and backward at least one hour a day. Recently, I returned home and he came to my house, brimming with energy, talking with me cheerfully and humorously unlike a 67-year-old man. He told me that the endoscopic examination he did last year showed that the gastric lesion had disappeared and that the CT examination revealed there were abdominal lymph node enlargements and he had occasional back pain (Figure 41). I was very surprised with this result. It seems that there are a lot of magical cancer treatments we can’t explain.