According to a latest study post-menopausal physically active women have a lower risk of acquiring breast cancer as compared to their inactive counterparts. Relatively they had a one third lesser chance of developing breast cancer according to a study conducted by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) and the University Hospitals of Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Prior studies have highlighted the benefits of physical activity in the fight against developing breast cancer. However the amount of physical activity required at which age in order to prevent breast cancer risk, was supposedly not known. Also the type of breast cancer influenced by physical activity was not very clear. The present MARIE study boasts of answering all these questions.
This study was conducted on about 3,464 breast cancer patients, and 6,657 healthy patients. These 50 to 74 aged women were questioned in an attempt to determine a link between lifestyle and breast cancer risk. These women had to answer questions about their amount of physical activity undertaken in two particular phases of their life; from 30 to 49 years, and after 50 years of age.
The results of this MARIE study revealed that the women in the control group had been more physically active in their life as compared to the breast cancer patients. On gauging the various risk factors for developing breast cancer post menopause, the study investigators came to the conclusion that women who were physically active were at a lower risk as compared to their lesser physically active counterparts.
As far as the type of breast cancer influenced by physical activity is concerned, they state that physically active women stand at a lower chance of acquiring “hormone receptor positive tumors.†They were at a lower risk of getting affected by tumors that form receptors for the two female sexual hormones, estrogen and progesterone. These types of tumors were found to have affected more than 60 percent of the study participants. On the other hand, the HER2 receptor formation or differentiation stage of cancer cells was apparently not linked with the amount of physical activity.
The investigators recommend various types of physical activity for women in order to reduce their risk of breast cancer development. They state that physical activity does not necessarily have to comprise of gym enrollment. Daily activities like gardening, walking or cycling to the grocery stores. Physical activity at all stages of life is suggested for women in order to reduce breast cancer development risk, and also keep one’s heart, brain and bones healthy.