Regular exercise not only helps to stave off cancer but can also lower the chances of it spreading, research suggests

Regular exercise not only helps to stave off cancer but can also lower the chances of it spreading, new research suggests.

Those who were active in the 12 months prior to a cancer diagnosis cut the risk of it progressing by more than a quarter.

Researchers said there is ‘compelling evidence’ that physical activity has a key part to play in lowering the risk of death from the disease, alongside conventional treatments.

They studied 28,248 people with stage one cancers between 2007 and 2022, with the most common being breast and prostate.

Activity levels were recorded using fitness devices, logged gym sessions and participation in organised fitness events.

The levels of exercise in the 12 months before diagnosis were categorised as no physical activity, low – less than 60 minutes a week – and moderate to high physical activity of more than 60 minutes a week.

This revealed 62 per cent of patients recorded no exercise, 13 per cent low and 25 per cent took part in moderate or high levels.

Cancer progressed in around a third of patients (34.5 per cent) and almost two in ten (19 per cent) had died by the end of the study period.

Those who were active in the 12 months prior to a cancer diagnosis cut the risk of it progressing by more than a quarter (file image)

Researchers from University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, found those who engaged in low levels of exercise reduced the odds of cancer progression by 16 per cent compared to those who did no physical activity.

This increased further to 27 per cent among those with moderate to high levels of exercise levels, according to the findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Similarly, the odds of death from any cause were a third (33 per cent) lower among those who had engaged in a little exercise and 47 per cent lower for those who had managed moderate to high levels, compared with those who had not recorded any.

Two years on from diagnosis, the likelihood of no disease progression among those with no recorded physical activity in the year before diagnosis was 74 per cent, compared with 78 and 80 per cent, respectively, for those in low and moderate to high groups.

While the likelihood of disease progression increased as time went on, it was still lower for those who had clocked up some level of physical activity in the year preceding their diagnosis.

Researchers suggested that public health guidance ‘should encourage individuals to engage in physical activity to not only prevent cancer but to mitigate the risk of cancer progression’.

They added: ‘Physical activity may be considered to confer substantial benefits in terms of progression and overall mortality to those diagnosed with cancer.

‘In a world where cancer continues to be a significant public health burden, the promotion of physical activity can yield important benefits regarding the progression of cancer as well as its prevention and management.’