Jacquelyn Lauria, RN, on Lifestyle Changes After Cancer

Jacquelyn Lauria, a nurse at The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, offers tips on how to make lifestyle changes after a cancer diagnosis.

"For most patients, they do better if they can find some sort of structured activity that works for them," she says. "And to recognize that it's not always about pure exercise... increase your physical activity, that doesn't mean you have to be at the gym three times a week."

She recommends having a structured activity that gets patients and survivors moving, including going to the YMCA or taking part in the LIVESTRONG program or just having an exercise buddy. "You do need support," she says. In her facility, survivors are offered a six-week program that promotes healthy lifestyles.

Patients and survivors are encouraged to ask their medical team for recommendations on programs or resources to help them improve diet and physical activity after a cancer diagnosis.