Increased physical activity associated with lower risk of 13 types of cancer

May 16, 2016, by DCEG Staff

A new study of the relationship between physical activity and cancer has shown that greater levels of leisure-time physical activity were associated with a lower risk of developing 13 different types of cancer. The risk of developing seven cancer types was 20 percent (or more) lower among the most active participants (90^th percentile of activity) as compared with the least active participants (10^th percentile of activity). These findings, from researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and the American Cancer Society, confirm and extend the evidence for a benefit of physical activity on cancer risk and support its role as a key component of population-wide cancer prevention and control efforts. The study, by Steven C. Moore, Ph.D., NCI, and colleagues, appeared May 16, 2016, in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Read the full NCI press release on this study.

Reference: Moore SC, Lee IM, Weiderpass E, et al. Leisure-time physical activity and risk of 26 types of cancer in 1.44 million adults. JAMA Internal Medicine. May 16, 2016. DOI:10.1001/jamainternmed.2016.1548

Related DCEG Research

DCEG Linkage article: Exploring the Links Between Leisure-time Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Cancer

Meet the Investigator

Biography of Steven C. Moore, Ph.D., M.P.H.