New research suggests that regular exercise not only helps prevent cancer, but may also reduce the chances of it spreading.
Those who were active in the 12 months before their cancer diagnosis reduced their risk of cancer progression by more than a quarter.
The researchers said there is “compelling evidence” that physical activity plays a key role in reducing the risk of death from the disease, along with conventional treatments.
They studied 28,248 people with stage one cancers between 2007 and 2022, with the most common being breast and prostate cancers.
Activity levels were recorded using fitness devices, logged gym sessions and participation in organized fitness events.
Exercise levels in the 12 months before diagnosis were classified as no physical activity, low (less than 60 minutes per week), and moderate to high physical activity, more than 60 minutes per week.
This revealed that 62 percent of patients recorded no exercise, 13 percent did it at low levels, and 25 percent did it at moderate or high levels.
The cancer progressed in about a third of the patients (34.5 percent) and almost two in ten (19 percent) had died by the end of the study period.
Researchers said there is “compelling evidence” that physical activity plays a key role in reducing the risk of death from cancer (file image)
Those who were active in the 12 months before their cancer diagnosis reduced their risk of cancer progression by more than a quarter (file image)
Researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, found that those who engaged in low levels of exercise reduced the chances of cancer progression by 16 per cent compared to those who did not engage in physical activity.
This further increased to 27 percent among those with moderate to high exercise levels, according to findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Similarly, the odds of death from any cause were one-third (33 percent) lower among those who had engaged in some exercise and 47 percent lower for those who had achieved moderate to high levels, compared with those who had not recorded any exercise. .
Two years after diagnosis, the probability that the disease would not progress among those who recorded no physical activity in the year before diagnosis was 74 percent, compared with 78 and 80 percent, respectively, for those in the low and moderate to high groups.
While the likelihood of disease progression increased as time went on, it was still lower for those who had engaged in some level of physical activity in the year before their diagnosis.
The researchers suggested that public health guidelines “should encourage people to engage in physical activity not only to prevent cancer but also to mitigate the risk of cancer progression.”
They added: “Physical activity can be considered to confer substantial benefits in terms of progression and overall mortality to people diagnosed with cancer.”
“In a world where cancer remains a significant public health burden, the promotion of physical activity can generate important benefits in terms of cancer progression, as well as its prevention and treatment.”