Regular exercise can slash the odds of cancer progressing, according to new research. The study found that being active in the year before diagnosis can decrease the chances of the disease worsening by more than a quarter (27%).
The South African study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, included 28,248 people with stage one cancers, the most common being breast and prostate. In over a third of patients (34.5%) their disease progressed throughout the study.
One in five of the participants (19%) died during the research, with 81 per cent surviving. The average time to cancer progression was seven months, with the time to death averaging 20 months.
But it was found that promoting exercise “can yield important benefits” and that improved fitness can work to halt progression of cancer, as well as aiding prevention and management of the disease.
The participants’ activity levels were recorded using fitness devices, monitored gym sessions, and by taking part in organised fitness events. The levels of exercise in the 12 months before diagnosis were sorted into three categories: no physical activity, low physical activity (under an hour a week) and moderate to high physical activity (more than an hour a week).
Around 62 per cent of patients recorded no exercise, while 13 per cent were categorised as taking part in low levels of physical activity, and the remaining quarter taking part in moderate or high levels in the year before diagnosis.
The study showed that those who engaged in low levels of exercise reduced the chances of their cancer progressing by 16 per cent compared to those who didn’t do any physical activity. Meanwhile, the odds among those who took part in moderate to high levels of exercise were 27 per cent lower.
Researchers suggested that public health guidance “should encourage individuals to engage in physical activity to not only prevent cancer but to mitigate the risk of cancer progression”.
They added: “Physical activity may be considered to confer substantial benefits in terms of progression and overall mortality to those diagnosed with cancer.
“In a world where cancer continues to be a significant public health burden, the promotion of physical activity can yield important benefits regarding the progression of cancer as well as its prevention and management.”
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