Physical Activity May Improve Outcomes in People Diagnosed With Cancer

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Engaging in any physical activity is associated with a reduced risk for cancer progression and all-cause mortality, according to a study published online Jan. 7 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Ntokozo Mabena, from Discovery Vitality, Sandton, South Africa, and colleagues examined the association between progression and mortality in individuals with stage I cancer and their recorded physical activity before the diagnosis of the cancer. The analysis included 28,248 individuals with stage I cancers.

The researchers found that physically active people had lower rates of cancer progression and lower rates of death from all causes. When comparing low activity (<60 minutes/week) with no physical activity, the risk for progression to higher stages or death was reduced by 16 percent. When comparing medium-to-high physical activity (≥60 minutes/week) with no physical activity, risk was cut by 27 percent. Similarly, the risk for all-cause mortality was reduced by 33 and 47 percent, respectively. 

“Public health guidelines should encourage individuals to engage in physical activity to not only prevent cancer but to mitigate the risk of cancer progression,” the authors write. “Individuals diagnosed with cancer should be encouraged by health care professionals to engage in physical activity to levels tolerated by the individual.”

Abstract/Full Text