- Experts are interested in exploring the role of exercise in cancer management.
- One study found that physical activity before cancer diagnosis was associated with a lower risk of cancer progression and death.
- The results highlight the potential benefits of exercise for reducing the risk of cancer progression and encourage people to incorporate exercise regularly into their lives.
Globally, cancer
In a recently published study, British Journal of Sports Medicine Researchers investigated how South African participants’ physical activity levels before cancer diagnosis affected cancer progression and death.
The study, which included data from more than 28,000 participants with stage 1 cancer, found that physical activity before cancer diagnosis was associated with lower mortality and cancer progression.
The authors of the current study point out that, based on available evidence, physical activity can help prevent cancer and reduce mortality. Given the lack of data in this area, they wanted to investigate how physical activity affected cancer progression in South Africa.
This study was a retrospective longitudinal observational study. We used anonymised data from participants in the South African healthcare scheme Discovery Health Medical Scheme.
All participants also participated in a health promotion program called “Vitality.” The program works with the Discovery Health Medical Scheme and encourages behaviors such as physical activity. You can also track your physical activity through wearable fitness devices and other actions such as gym attendance with a clock.
Researchers included in the analysis participants who had stage 1 cancer and had participated in a Vitality program for at least one year before diagnosis. They also conducted a subanalysis that excluded certain cancer types that were likely to influence prediagnosis physical activity levels.
The average length of time participants were in the Vitality program was 9.5 years. Researchers divided participants into three groups based on physical activity level.
- None: no physical activity is recorded
- Low: Log 1-59 minutes of physical activity per week
- Moderate to high: Record at least 1 hour of physical activity per week.
In this study, physical activity meant at least moderate intensity, and the researchers assigned participants to categories based on physical activity in the 12 months prior to cancer diagnosis, although additional analyzes activities were also taken into account.
Researchers considered age at diagnosis, gender, and socioeconomic status, along with factors such as insurance type.
They also considered the common influence of comorbidities before cancer diagnosis. When looking at specific types of cancer, researchers conducted separate analyzes of the effects of physical activity on prostate cancer, breast cancer, and skin cancer.
Approximately 62% of participants had no records of physical activity, while approximately 25% had records of moderate to high physical activity. The most common cancer types among participants were prostate cancer and breast cancer.
Throughout the observation period, almost 19% of participants died, while 65.5% of participants did not experience cancer progression.
Compared to people who did not exercise, people in the moderate to vigorous physical activity group were 27% less likely to experience cancer progression and 47% more likely to die from any cause. It was low.
The less physically active group was 16% less likely to experience cancer progression and 33% less likely to experience death from any cause compared to the inactive group.
However, when looking at participants with BMI data, there were no significant differences in progression outcomes between the low and no physical activity groups.
Analysis of specific types of cancer revealed similar benefits. However, low levels of physical activity had the most positive results when it came to prostate cancer progression and skin cancer all-cause mortality. Low and moderate to high physical activity had similar effects on skin cancer progression.
When looking at the probability of progression and death, the data continue to highlight the benefits of physical activity. For example, two years after diagnosis, people who had moderate to high physical activity in the year before diagnosis had an 80% chance of not dying and their cancer not progressing to a higher level.
By comparison, people with no physical activity had a 74% chance of not having these events. When all causes of death were taken into account, those who had no physical activity had a 91% chance of survival, while those who had moderate to high levels of physical activity had a 95% chance of survival.
Although this study points to the benefits of exercise, it cannot prove causation. When looking at the odds of cancer progression and death, researchers used examples of men with certain characteristics. This may have influenced the results.
A participant’s recorded physical activity may also differ from their actual physical activity level.
Although researchers have minimized the risk of reverse causation, it is still possible. There is also the possibility of bias because researchers did not adjust for factors such as smoking. They also assumed that participants who did not record physical activity in the Vitality program did not engage in recreational exercise.
Anne McTiernan, MDsaid Professor McTiernan of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center Epidemiology Program, who was not involved in the study. Today’s medical news that:
“This study had some drawbacks: it could only collect pre-diagnosis exercise data. We don’t know what these patients did afterward. […] Measured movement may be accurate, but it doesn’t capture all of people’s activities. So, for example, a patient who has a physically active job but does not wear a movement watch would be incorrectly classified as inactive. The data supports this, with 60% classified as physically inactive. This study likely vastly underestimates the amount of activity, as walking to the fridge, car, and work involves some activity. ”
Researchers were also missing some data. For example, there was limited data on body mass index (BMI), so this information was not considered in the primary analysis. They only looked at it in a secondary analysis. We also did not have data on participants’ race or ethnicity. Some participants abandoned their plans.
Additionally, because this study’s findings focus on people who have access to private health insurance, premiums tend to be higher among people of white and Asian descent in the region, so this study’s findings do not necessarily translate to South Africa. cannot be generalized to all people. Individuals also participated in incentive programs encouraging physical activity.
The researchers considered only three specific cancer types in additional analyses, and otherwise looked at all cancers together.
“The population was from an insurance database.” […] This database was developed for insurance purposes, not research. Therefore, few other variables were available that could explain the association between exercise and prognosis (such as completion of cancer treatment, weight, and smoking),” McTiernan added.
Overall, the results highlight the positive impact of exercise compared to sedentary behavior on cancer progression and mortality. This suggests that even low levels of physical activity may be beneficial.
research author John Patricios, MBBCh, MMedSciThe doctor, who specializes in sports and exercise medicine and is a visiting professor at Wits University in Johannesburg, South Africa, said the data has clinical implications. MNT:
“With cancer being diagnosed earlier and cancer incidence increasing, available interventions that can positively impact prognosis are more important than ever. Knowing that just 60 minutes of regular exercise can reduce the chance of cancer progression by 27% and the chance of death by 47% should inspire all doctors to use exercise as medicine. It should be encouraged.”
“Regular physical activity is the most powerful and accessible prescription we can offer our patients,” he added.
He said: “While this study confirms that even relatively small amounts of physical activity have benefits, we should encourage people to follow WHO rules.” [World Health Organization] To reap all of the well-documented benefits, follow the guideline of 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. ”
