Episode Details
Back to EpisodesE214: Anne-Marie Ball - Exercise and Oncology
Description
Trigger Warning: this episode discusses cancer and cancer treatment.
Episode 214: Part of the Living with and Beyond Cancer Series (part 75)
Description: In this inspiring episode of the Living With and Beyond Cancer series, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara are joined by Anne-Marie Ball, a Clinical Exercise Practitioner, researcher and Cancer Exercise Specialist, to explore the transformative role of exercise throughout the cancer pathway.
Anne-Marie holds an MSc in Cancer Care and has extensive experience delivering exercise rehabilitation programmes across both hospital and community settings. Her research focuses on multimodal exercise interventions and how they can optimise health-related outcomes for people affected by cancer. Throughout the episode, she explains the science underpinning exercise oncology, dispels common misconceptions surrounding exercise during treatment, and highlights the importance of integrating personalised exercise into routine cancer care.
Whether you are a healthcare professional, student, researcher, exercise practitioner or someone living with and beyond cancer, this episode offers evidence-based insights into one of the most impactful supportive interventions available to people affected by cancer. It highlights why exercise should be considered an essential component of personalised cancer care, rather than an optional extra.
CPD Reflection Points:
- Critically evaluate how exercise is currently integrated into the cancer pathway within your own area of practice. To what extent does your service reflect the contemporary evidence for exercise before, during and after treatment? Consider the barriers and facilitators to embedding exercise as a standard component of personalised cancer care.
- Despite strong evidence demonstrating the benefits of exercise for improving physical function, reducing treatment-related side effects and enhancing quality of life, implementation remains inconsistent. Reflect on your own confidence, knowledge and professional responsibility in discussing exercise with people affected by cancer. How can healthcare professionals move beyond signposting towards actively integrating exercise conversations into routine clinical practice while maintaining person-centred care?
- Identify one evidence-informed improvement that could be implemented within your own organisation to strengthen access to exercise or rehabilitation. Justify your proposal using current evidence, national guidance or policy, and reflect on how you would evaluate its impact on patient outcomes and experience.
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Links from the Episode:
Research links from the Episode:
- Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management During Cancer Treatment: ASCO Guideline
- Movement Is Medicine: Structured Exercise Program May Lower Risk of Cancer Recurrence and Death for Some Colon Cancer Survivors
Rad Chat Links: