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The impact of physical activity on all-cause mortality in men and women after a cancer diagnosis

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Abstract

Objective

Existing information regarding the impact of physical activity after a cancer diagnosis on all-cause mortality is limited. We examined the association between different types of physical activity (domestic, walking, sports) and mortality in 293 participants (65.5% women) with a cancer registration prior to the baseline assessment.

Methods

Participants were drawn from the Scottish Health Surveys (1995, 1998, 2003) that were linked to a national database of cancer registrations and deaths. The main outcome was all-cause mortality during a mean follow-up period of 5.9 ± 3.2 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the risk of all-cause mortality by levels of physical activity.

Results

There were 78 deaths during follow-up. The lowest risks for all-cause mortality were seen in sports activity groups [multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for any compared with groups of no sports: 0.47, 95% CI 0.23–0.96, p = 0.039] although light and moderate activity such as domestic activity (HR = 1.04, 0.60–1.80) and regular walking (HR = 0.95, 0.57–1.56) did not confer protection.

Conclusion

Participation in an average of more than three sessions of vigorous exercise per week for at least 20 min/session was associated with the lowest risks of all-cause mortality following a cancer diagnosis. Vigorous physical activity could therefore be a more important determinant of survival than duration or total volume of exercise in cancer survivors.

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Acknowledgments

The authors received grant funding from the British Heart Foundation, UK (MH), and the National Institute for Health Research, UK (ES). The Scottish Health Survey is funded by the Scottish Executive. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily of the funding bodies. We declare that the funders played no role in the concept and design of the study, analysis or interpretation of data, or drafting and critical revision of the manuscript.

Contributors

All authors were responsible for the study concept and design, interpretation of data, and drafting and critical revision of the manuscript. ES was responsible for the acquisition of the data. Statistical analysis and preparation of the data was performed by MH and ES. All authors approved the final version of the article. MH is the guarantor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

    Mark Hamer & Emmanuel Stamatakis

  2. Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Crescent Campus, Sheffield, UK

    John M. Saxton

Authors
  1. Mark Hamer
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  2. Emmanuel Stamatakis
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  3. John M. Saxton
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Correspondence to Mark Hamer.

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Hamer, M., Stamatakis, E. & Saxton, J.M. The impact of physical activity on all-cause mortality in men and women after a cancer diagnosis. Cancer Causes Control 20, 225–231 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9237-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-008-9237-3

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