Cancer: negative stress drops by 18% with sport, art and culture

Sports and recreational activities can reduce negative stress, or distress, in people diagnosed with cancer by 18%, with a net improvement in psycho-physical wellbeing and in meeting the emotional, relational and functional needs of patients and caregivers. These are the results of the second edition of the programme 'Re-Start Cancer Care - The new beginning after a cancer diagnosis' promoted by Fondazione IncontraDonna. Thanks to the initiative, created to respond to the problems of low energy, anxiety, loneliness, dejection and depressive symptoms, over 100 people with cancer pathologies and their caregivers were able to access free lessons in Tai Chi Chuan, rowing, theatre, expressive writing, flamenco, mindfulness and art therapy.

All the results of the programme - informs IncontraDonna in a note - will be presented on 20 January at the Teatro Ghione in Rome, during the final performance. Così è (se vi pare)' by Luigi Pirandello, by Francesco Giuffrè, will be staged. Among the actors will be patients and caregivers who took part in the project. The show, which will be presented by the actress Flora Canto, represents the concluding moment of the 2025 edition of Re-Start Cancer Care and is the result of the theatrical pathway developed within the programme. The show will be followed by a short demonstration by some of the participants of the other courses. "Re-Start Cancer Care is an initiative geared towards the psycho-physical and emotional wellbeing of patients and caregivers," explains Antonella Campana, president of Fondazione IncontraDonna. "The course includes a structured evaluation, through questionnaires administered at the beginning and at the end, to detect individual needs and the impact of the proposed activities. The results show positive outcomes and a high level of satisfaction, confirming the importance of flanking clinical treatments with interventions dedicated to the emotional, relational and social well-being of patients and their caregivers'.

Adds Adriana Bonifacino, founder of IncontraDonna: "Re-Start Cancer Care confirms itself as a project of great value, capable of generating significant benefits on a psycho-physical and relational level, and of offering a support network to the people who participate in it On the basis of the excellent results obtained, we are working to make the project increasingly replicable throughout Italy: the launch of Re-Start in our regional committee in Tuscany, financed through a call for proposals promoted by the Foundation, is also part of this direction and represents a first concrete step towards expanding the offer and involving a growing number of people and caregivers'.

As Francesco Giuffrè, teacher of the programme's drama course, explains, "the show is the result of a journey of sharing between people who are going through a moment of physical and emotional fragility. After working on the exploration of feelings, on listening to the other and to oneself, the construction of a real show was the natural culmination of this 'journey'. Everything is thus put at the service of theatre. Respect for space and for the role of the other, listening and sharing emotions are the real actors in the show we are going to stage'.

"Numerous scientific evidences show how sports and recreational activities are able to bring real benefits to cancer patients,' concludes Andrea Botticelli, oncologist, member of the Board of Directors of Fondazione IncontraDonna and scientific head of the Re-Start project. 'During the cancer pathway, forms of distress and emotional discomfort can emerge that affect the quality of life. In this context, proposals such as Re-Start complement therapies. A central element of the project is the focus on personalisation, not only of the treatments, but also of the pathways to recover well-being, built around the personal attitudes, preferences and life organisation of the people involved and their caregivers'.