Study: Breast Cancer Patients Up Risk by Cutting Back on Workouts

Women tend to significantly decrease their physical activity level after being diagnosed with breast cancer even though the opposite course might reduce the risk of recurrence and increase prospects for survival, according to a report in the journal Cancer.

Researchers said that in a study of 812 women with breast cancer, they found that patients decreased their total physical activity "by an estimated 2 hours per week from prediagnosis to postdiagnosis -- an 11 percent decrease."

The greatest decreases in sports activity were observed among women who were treated with both radiation and chemotherapy, who cutback on their workouts by 50 percent, the researchers said. Those treated solely with radiation reduced their workouts by 23 percent.

The researchers reported that patients who were obese -- a factor that increases risk of recurrence -- cut back their workouts by 41 percent, compared with patients of normal weight who reduced their sports activity by 24 percent.

"Greater decreases in physical activity observed among heavier patients implied a potential for greater weight gain among women who already were overweight," the researchers said. "Randomized, controlled trials are needed to evaluate how physical activity may improve the prognosis for patients with breast carcinoma.and reduced survival."

Other sources: Cancer