As part of the study, the researchers combined data from six major long-term projects and assessed the level of physical activity of participants both before the diagnosis and approximately 2.8 years after. The total observation time for the patients was about 11 years, during which the impact of physical activity on the risk of death was examined, taking into account factors such as age, sex, smoking, and disease stage.
The results of the study showed that physical activity significantly reduces the likelihood of death from various types of cancer. For example, the risk of death from oral cancer decreased by 61%, from lung cancer by 44%, from endometrial cancer by 38%, and from bladder cancer by 33%. Even among those patients who led a sedentary lifestyle before the diagnosis but began exercising afterward, positive dynamics were observed: among lung cancer patients, the risk of death decreased by 42%, and among rectal cancer patients, by 49%.
The authors of the study noted that even moderate physical activity, such as less than 150 minutes of exercise per week, can provide more benefits than complete inactivity. Furthermore, increasing the level of physical activity above the recommended norms may further reduce the risk of death in certain patient groups. The researchers urged medical professionals to actively encourage physical activity as an important element of support for cancer patients during treatment and rehabilitation.
