A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin and appearing in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention indicates exercise may help actually prevent breast cancer.
“We have found that exercise likely offers protection against breast cancer regardless of a woman’s stage in life,” said researcher Brian Sprague of the Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center.
(His comments appeared in a news release from the American Association for Cancer Research.)
Of the 15,000 subjects studied, the women who did more than six hours of “strenuous” exercise a week and had no family history of breast cancer were over 20 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than the women who didn’t exercise at all.
The women in the study ranged in age from 20 years old to 69 and were split into (approximately) thirds of women in their 60’s, 50’s and 49 and under.
Though exercise seems to be a protective factor against cancer in women of all ages, the study DID NOT show that exercise prevents breast cancer, nor does this study indicate that lack of exercise can lead to breast cancer.
Exercise appeared to benefit women, regardless of age, but the preventive benefits showed only in those with no family history of breast cancer.
Remember, you don’t need to have clear risk factors. Anyone can develop breast cancer.
Regular self-breast exams, pre-screening, and mammograms (if suggested by your doctor) can help reduce your chance of developing breast cancer.
“The take-home message for women should be, ” said Sprague, “that it is never too late to begin exercising.”
Tags: breast cancer, cancer and exercise
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