© 2000 by Oxford University Press
Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Vol. 92, No. 2, 128-135,
January 19, 2000
© 2000 Oxford University Press
Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk in Women Aged 20-54 Years
Affiliation of authors: Department of Epidemiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam.
Correspondence to: Professor Dr. Flora E. van Leeuwen, Department of Epidemiology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands (e-mail: mho{at}nki.nl).
BACKGROUND/METHODS: Although several studies have suggested that physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer, such a decrease has not been found consistently, perhaps because physical activity was assessed in different ways and for restricted periods. Few studies have assessed the risk of breast cancer in relation to lifetime physical activity. We used data from a population-based, case-control study, including 918 case subjects (aged 20-54 years) and 918 age-matched population control subjects, to examine associations between breast cancer risk and physical activity at ages 10-12 years and 13-15 years, lifetime recreational activity, and title of longest held job. RESULTS: Women who were more active than their peers at ages 10-12 years had a lower risk of breast cancer (odds ratio [OR] = 0.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.49-0.94). Women who had ever engaged in recreational physical activity had a reduced risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women (OR = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.56-0.88). Neither very early recreational activity (before age 20 years) nor recent activity (last 5 years) was associated with a greater reduction in risk than recreational activity in the intermediate period. Furthermore, women who started recreational activities after age 20 years and women who started earlier and continued their activities throughout adult life experienced a similar reduction in risk. Lean women, i.e., women with a body mass index (weight in kg/[height in m]2) less than 21.8 kg/m2, appeared to have a lower risk associated with recreational physical activity than women with a body mass index greater than 24.5 kg/m2 (OR = 0.57 [95% CI = 0.40-0.82] and OR = 0.92 [95% CI = 0.65-1.29], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the hypothesis that recreational physical activity is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer. Physical activity in early or recent life does not appear to be associated with additional beneficial effects.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
S. S. Maruti, W. C. Willett, D. Feskanich, B. Rosner, and G. A. Colditz A Prospective Study of Age-Specific Physical Activity and Premenopausal Breast Cancer J Natl Cancer Inst, May 21, 2008; 100(10): 728 - 737. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y.-P. Lu, B. Nolan, Y.-R. Lou, Q.-Y. Peng, G. C. Wagner, and A. H. Conney Voluntary exercise together with oral caffeine markedly stimulates UVB light-induced apoptosis and decreases tissue fat in SKH-1 mice PNAS, July 31, 2007; 104(31): 12936 - 12941. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. M. Dallal, J. Sullivan-Halley, R. K. Ross, Y. Wang, D. Deapen, P. L. Horn-Ross, P. Reynolds, D. O. Stram, C. A. Clarke, H. Anton-Culver, et al. Long-term Recreational Physical Activity and Risk of Invasive and In Situ Breast Cancer: The California Teachers Study Arch Intern Med, February 26, 2007; 167(4): 408 - 415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. L. Sprague, A. Trentham-Dietz, P. A. Newcomb, L. Titus-Ernstoff, J. M. Hampton, and K. M. Egan Lifetime Recreational and Occupational Physical Activity and Risk of In situ and Invasive Breast Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., February 1, 2007; 16(2): 236 - 243. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. H. Lahmann, C. Friedenreich, A. J. Schuit, S. Salvini, N. E. Allen, T. J. Key, K.-T. Khaw, S. Bingham, P. H.M. Peeters, E. Monninkhof, et al. Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., January 1, 2007; 16(1): 36 - 42. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Y.-P. Lu, Y.-R. Lou, B. Nolan, Q.-Y. Peng, J.-G. Xie, G. C. Wagner, and A. H. Conney Stimulatory effect of voluntary exercise or fat removal (partial lipectomy) on apoptosis in the skin of UVB light-irradiated mice PNAS, October 31, 2006; 103(44): 16301 - 16306. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Michna, G. C. Wagner, Y.-R. Lou, J.-G. Xie, Q.-Y. Peng, Y. Lin, K. Carlson, W. J. Shih, A. H. Conney, and Y.-P. Lu Inhibitory effects of voluntary running wheel exercise on UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 mice Carcinogenesis, October 1, 2006; 27(10): 2108 - 2115. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
B. Tehard, C. M. Friedenreich, J.-M. Oppert, and F. Clavel-Chapelon Effect of Physical Activity on Women at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer: Results from the E3N Cohort Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., January 1, 2006; 15(1): 57 - 64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Bernstein, A. V. Patel, G. Ursin, J. Sullivan-Halley, M. F. Press, D. Deapen, J. A. Berlin, J. R. Daling, J. A. McDonald, S. A. Norman, et al. Lifetime Recreational Exercise Activity and Breast Cancer Risk Among Black Women and White Women J Natl Cancer Inst, November 16, 2005; 97(22): 1671 - 1679. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. Madlensky, R. A. Vierkant, C. M. Vachon, V. S. Pankratz, J. R. Cerhan, S. T. Vadaparampil, and T. A. Sellers Preventive Health Behaviors and Familial Breast Cancer Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., October 1, 2005; 14(10): 2340 - 2345. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
P. Schnohr, M. Gronbaek, L. Petersen, H. Ole Hein, and T. Ia Sorensen Physical activity in leisure-time and risk of cancer: 14-year follow-up of 28,000 Danish men and women Scand J Public Health, August 1, 2005; 33(4): 244 - 249. [Abstract] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. E. Matthews, W. H. Xu, W. Zheng, Y. T. Gao, Z. X. Ruan, J. R. Cheng, Y. B. Xiang, and X. O. Shu Physical Activity and Risk of Endometrial Cancer: A Report from the Shanghai Endometrial Cancer Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2005; 14(4): 779 - 785. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. L. Margolis, L. Mucci, T. Braaten, M. Kumle, Y. Trolle Lagerros, H.-O. Adami, E. Lund, and E. Weiderpass Physical Activity in Different Periods of Life and the Risk of Breast Cancer: The Norwegian-Swedish Women's Lifestyle and Health Cohort Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., January 1, 2005; 14(1): 27 - 32. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
E. M. John, P. L. Horn-Ross, and J. Koo Lifetime Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk in a Multiethnic Population: The San Francisco Bay Area Breast Cancer Study Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2003; 12(11): 1143 - 1152. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
A. McTiernan Behavioral Risk Factors in Breast Cancer: Can Risk Be Modified? Oncologist, August 1, 2003; 8(4): 326 - 334. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
K. Steindorf, M. Schmidt, S. Kropp, and J. Chang-Claude Case-Control Study of Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk among Premenopausal Women in Germany Am. J. Epidemiol., January 15, 2003; 157(2): 121 - 130. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. M. Friedenreich and M. R. Orenstein Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: Etiologic Evidence and Biological Mechanisms J. Nutr., November 1, 2002; 132(11): 3456S - 3464. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
L. S. Kinsinger, R. Harris, S. H. Woolf, H. C. Sox, and K. N. Lohr Chemoprevention of Breast Cancer: A Summary of the Evidence for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Ann Intern Med, July 2, 2002; 137(1): 59 - 69. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
T. Byers, M. Nestle, A. McTiernan, C. Doyle, A. Currie-Williams, T. Gansler, M. Thun, and the American Cancer Society 2001 Nutrition and Phy American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention: Reducing the Risk of Cancer with Healthy Food Choices and Physical Activity CA Cancer J Clin, March 1, 2002; 52(2): 92 - 119. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
F. D. Gilliland, Y.-F. Li, K. Baumgartner, D. Crumley, and J. M. Samet Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk in Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Women Am. J. Epidemiol., September 1, 2001; 154(5): 442 - 450. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. M. Friedenreich, H. E. Bryant, and K. S. Courneya Case-Control Study of Lifetime Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk Am. J. Epidemiol., August 15, 2001; 154(4): 336 - 347. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. M. Friedenreich Physical Activity and Cancer Prevention: From Observational to Intervention Research Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., April 1, 2001; 10(4): 287 - 301. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||
![]() |
S. M. Enger, R. K. Ross, A. Paganini-Hill, C. L. Carpenter, and L. Bernstein Body Size, Physical Activity, and Breast Cancer Hormone Receptor Status: Results from Two Case-Control Studies Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., July 1, 2000; 9(7): 681 - 687. [Abstract] [Full Text] |
||||










