Regular Physical Activity Lowers Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Risk

First Posted: Aug 11, 2014 05:03 AM EDT
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Postmenopausal women can lower the risk of invasive breast cancer by adhering to regular physical activity, equal to at least four hours of walking per week.

The study documented in the Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research highlights the benefits of regular physical activity that postmenopausal women receive. The researchers claim that physical exercise, equal to four hours of walking per week, lowers the risk of breast cancer. These benefits vanish if physical activity stops suddenly.

"Twelve MET-h [metabolic equivalent task-hours] per week corresponds to walking four hours per week or cycling or engaging in other sports two hours per week and it is consistent with the World Cancer Research Fund recommendations of walking at least 30 minutes daily," said Agnes Fournier, PhD, a researcher in the Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health at the Institut Gustave Roussy in Villejuif, France. "So, our study shows that it is not necessary to engage in vigorous or very frequent activities; even walking 30 minutes per day is beneficial."

In this study, the researchers looked at the data retrieved from the biennial questionnaires completed by 59,308 postmenopausal women who were part of E3N, the French component of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. The mean duration of follow-up was 8.5 years. During this time, 2,155 women were diagnosed with a first primary invasive breast cancer.

The total amount of the self-reported recreational physical activity was calculated in MET-h per week. The breast cancer risk reducing effects of 12 or more MET-h per week of recreational physical activity was independent of BMI, weight gain, waist circumference.

"Physical activity is thought to decrease a woman's risk for breast cancer after menopause," said Fournier. "However, it was not clear how rapidly this association is observed after regular physical activity is begun or for how long it lasts after regular exercise stops."

Postmenopausal women who had undertaken 12 or more MET-h of physical activity each week in the previous four year, had 10 percent lower risk of invasive breast cancer when compared to those who were less active.

"Our study answers these questions," Fournier continued. "We found that recreational physical activity, even of modest intensity, seemed to have a rapid impact on breast cancer risk. However, the decreased breast cancer risk we found associated with physical activity was attenuated when activity stopped. As a result, postmenopausal women who exercise should be encouraged to continue and those who do not exercise should consider starting because their risk of breast cancer may decrease rapidly."

The study was documented in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

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