Defying Age and Cancer
- 75-year-old Marilynn Larkin took control of her fear after learning she had advanced stage breast cancer by diving back into one of her longtime passions: bodybuilding – winning first place in a recent competition after placing for the first time in her 50s, both highly incredible feats.
- The White Plains, New York native, describing her journey since the challenging 2023 diagnosis, explained how she took her health into her own hands while living with incurable cancer, opting not to have chemotherapy treatment, which is a personal decision to sustain her quality of life. Thankfully, her cancer is stable and she is continuing to live every day to its fullest potential.
- According to our experts, there is strong evidence that moderate-intensity aerobic training and/or resistance exercise during and after cancer treatment can reduce anxiety, depressive symptoms and fatigue and improve health-related quality of life and physical function. However, as always, going through cancer or not, listen to your body and be sure not to push too hard.
- Overall, prioritizing your mental and emotional health by doing things that make you happy can be very beneficial during a cancer journey. Living your passion and doing things that bring you joy every day is how people take control back from cancer.
The White Plains, New York native, describing her journey since the challenging 2023 diagnosis, explained how she took her health into her own hands while living with incurable cancer.
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In college, Larkin “fenced and danced, among other badass and acrobatic pursuits. I don’t have any regrets in life, but I do wish I learned martial arts.”
What Is Natural Bodybuilding?
Going more into “natural” bodybuilding, Larkin described how it is “all about building up your muscles and scultiping your physique the old-fashioned way—without steroids or any of those artificial enhancers. Just good, clean hard work, lots of lifting weights, and eating right.”
In June, Larking competed in her “second-ever bodybuilding competition,” adding that her first time was 22 years ago.
“I was 54 at the time, and the oldest person competing,” she continued, noting that she placed in the competition, but wasn’t interested in going further. “I quickly realized that what I loved most about bodybuilding was the training process, not game day.”
In addition to her fondness for physical athleticism, Larkin is also an artist.
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She stays active around the local scene, keeping up her creative passions by performing on stage, singing and playing guitar, along with reciting poetry at open mics.
Marilynn Larkin’s 2023 Diagnosis
Like many others, Larkin said she put off getting a lump checked out during the pandemic. She had assumed it was related to her fitness, as she was doing 80 push-ups a day.
“By the time I sought help, the cancer had progressed, ultimately metastasizing to my liver,” she said of finding out the difficult news that, not only she had cancer, but it had spread.
“Despite the severity” of her diagnosis, she said she chose to do lumpectomies (surgery to remove the tumor) and radiation over chemotherapy and a mastectomy, which is full removal of the breast tissue.
Handling fear when you get the diagnosis
“Prioritizing my quality of life and minimizing time away from the fitness routines” allowed her to “feel centered” and at her “best.” Thankfully, Larkin explained that the cancer is currently stable as she actively continues her day-to-day strength training.
Exercising and Building Strength During Cancer
Dr. Sairah Ahmed, associate professor in the Division of Cancer Medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, wants you to know that being in good shape during cancer is very beneficial.
“I think that, in terms of cancer, oftentimes patients feel that they don’t have any control over any part of their life, and that’s not true,” Ahmed told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview. “The more physically fit you are going through your cancer treatment, the less side effects you’ll have and the faster you’ll get back to your normal quality of life.”
What to know about diet and exercise if you have cancer
According to the National Cancer Institute, physical activity is beneficial for cancer survivors. The NCI cited findings from a report of the 2018 American College of Sports Medicine International Multidisciplinary Roundtable on physical activity and cancer prevention and control in saying that exercise is generally good for cancer survivors. The roundtable also found:
- Strong evidence that moderate-intensity aerobic training and/or resistance exercise during and after cancer treatment can reduce anxiety, depressive symptoms and fatigue and improve health-related quality of life and physical function
- Strong evidence that exercise training is safe in persons who have or might develop breast-cancer-related lymphedema
- Some evidence that exercise is beneficial for bone health and sleep quality
- Insufficient evidence that physical activity can help prevent cardiotoxicity or chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy or improve cognitive function, falls, nausea, pain, sexual function or treatment tolerance
Staying Busy During Treatment
More research is needed on the effects of exercise during cancer treatment, but one thing is for sure: It may not be a cure-all, but prioritizing your mental and emotional health by doing things that make you happy can be very beneficial during a cancer journey.
For example, many people undergoing treatment find it helpful to have ongoing projects or things to look forward to that are separate from their cancer battles. Whether it’s working out or making music, there are no right or wrong answers. Studies prove that patients who are able to maintain a positive outlook often have better treatment outcomes.
Experts such as Dr. Dana Chase, an oncologist at UCLA Health, recommend doing whatever makes you happy.
“We know from good studies that emotional health is associated with survival, meaning better quality of life is associated with better outcomes,” Chase told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “So working on your emotional health, your physical well-being, your social environment [and] your emotional well-being are important and can impact your survival. If that’s related to what activities you do that bring you joy, then you should try to do more of those activities.”
Dr. Dana Chase encourages those facing cancer to find moments of joy during treatment
Coping With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Metastatic breast cancer (also called stage 4) means the cancer cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body. Breast cancer spreads through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The blood carries cancer cells to different body parts, where they grow as new tumors. The cancer may spread to the liver, lungs, or bones.
“Among women who are seeking medical attention for breast cancer for the first time, approximately 6 to 8% have evidence of metastatic breast cancer,” Dr. Kenneth D. Miller, a medical oncologist at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, previously told SurvivorNet.
As the disease spreads to other areas of the body, it may cause additional symptoms depending on the area the cancer has spread. These may include:
- Bones: Severe bone pain or fractures
- Lungs: Difficulty breathing, chest pain, new cough
- Liver: Yellowing of the skin (jaundice), abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting
- Brain: Headaches, memory loss, changes in vision, seizures
Although metastatic cancer is not considered curable, many treatment options exist today that can extend your life and improve your overall day-to-day quality of life. There have been incredible advances when it comes to treating breast cancer in recent years.
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