Cancer Companion SA

International cancer guidelines (including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Cancer Society) generally recommend that people having cancer treatment try to stay physically active where they are able to, rather than resting completely. The pattern most often suggested is a mix of:

• Around 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity — for example, brisk walking — spread across the week rather than done all at once.
• Simple strength exercises roughly twice a week, using light weights, resistance bands, or bodyweight moves.

These are general figures for people who are able to exercise, not a target everyone having treatment can or should aim for. Fatigue, treatment side effects, low blood counts, and other health conditions can all mean less is right for you on a given day, or that a doctor or physiotherapist needs to confirm what is safe first.

The South African National Clinical Trials Register (SANCTR) is the official source for active clinical trials in South Africa. Its search tool updates in real time, so this app links you directly to it rather than showing a copy that could go out of date.

This app summarises the essentials. For more detail than we can present here — full fact sheets, infographics, and guideline documents — these link directly to CANSA and the other South African medical bodies this app is sourced from. Each opens in a new tab.