Modest
Physical Activity Improves Survival in Breast Cancer Patients
According to results recently presented at the 95th annual
meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, physical
activity, even in modest amounts, appears to improve survival
and decrease recurrences in patients diagnosed with breast
cancer.
Breast cancer claims the lives of approximately 40,000 women
annually in the United States alone. Much time and effort
is being invested by researchers to determine possible associations
between environmental and/or genetic factors and the risk
of diagnosis or death from breast cancer, so women may alter
their lifestyles to reduce their risk, or undergo appropriate
screening measures if they are considered to be at high risk.
Diet and exercise are two areas of investigation that have
demonstrated a link in the development of various cancers.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard
University recently conducted a clinical study to evaluate
the effects of exercise on survival in women diagnosed with
breast cancer. This study included nearly 2,300 women who
were participants in the Nurses’ Health Study. All women
had been diagnosed with stages I, II or III breast cancer
between 1984 and 1996. The researchers included several variables
of the patients in their study, including stage of diagnosis,
obesity, etc, as well as exercise. Exercise was measured in
metabolic equivalent task hours (met-hours) per week, beginning
2 years after diagnosis. One met is equivalent to the caloric
requirements and energy expenditure of a person at rest –
3 met-hours is equivalent to one hour of walking. Patients
were followed until either their death caused by breast cancer
or June 2002.
Data indicated that the risk of death was decreased with
physical activity, whether the amount of physical activity
was modest or more intense, compared with being sedentary.
The risk of death from breast cancer was decreased by 19%
in women who had 3 to 8.9 met-hours per week of exercise;
54% in women who had 9 to 14.9 met-hours per week of exercise;
42% in women who had 15 to 23.9 met-hours per week of exercise;
and 29% in women who had 24 or more met-hours per week of
exercise. In terms of walking, this translates into a 19%
reduced risk of death with just one hour of walking per week,
and a 54% reduced risk of death with just 3 hours of walking
per week.
The researchers concluded that mild to moderate amounts of
physical activity following diagnosis significantly reduces
the risk of death from breast cancer in women diagnosed with
stages I-III breast cancer. Women who have been diagnosed
with early breast cancer may wish to speak with their physician
about the risks and benefits of different types of exercise
and/or a specific exercise program.
Reference: Holmes M, et al. Physical activity and survival
after breast cancer diagnosis. Proceedings from the 95th annual
meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. March
2004. Abstract #1462.
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