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Diet and Exercise Reduce Mortality In Breast Cancer Survivors
Breast cancer survivors cut fatality rate in half by combining exercise with eating
more fruits and vegetables
June 2007
Many studies have shown a link between improved survival after breast cancer and
healthy behaviors like eating a healthful diet, exercising, and keeping weight down.
Scientists now report that combining some of these healthy behaviors may improve it
even more.
They found that breast cancer survivors who exercised and also ate fruits and
vegetables increased their chance for survival -- even if they were obese.
The study, part of the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study (WHEL), assessed the
impact of lifestyle on longevity of 1490 women who had completed treatment for
early-stage breast cancer. Their diet and exercise habits were followed over a period
of five to eleven years.
Women with one type of breast cancer (hormone receptor positive) cut their fatality
rate in half -- from 14% to 7% -- by eating five or more servings of fruits and
vegetables each day and doing exercise equivalent to thirty minutes of walking six
days a week. Either behavior alone had a slight effect, but when the two were
combined, the benefit increased considerably.
Women who had hormone receptor-negative tumors did not get the same benefit.
Diet and exercise are thought to lower the level of circulating hormones which fuel the
growth of cancers that have hormone receptors on their cell surface.
When the study began, only 30% of participants in the average-weight group and
16% of those who were obese had a healthy lifestyle which combined eating five or
more servings of fruits and vegetables each day and doing the level of exercise that
improved survival.
In the general population, fewer than half of all breast cancer survivors do either the
moderate amount of exercise that improved survival for the women in this study or
consume as much produce. Some could live longer by adopting both of these simple
lifestyle changes.
Greater Survival After Breast Cancer in Physically Active Women With High Vegetable-Fruit
Intake Regardless of Obesity
JP Pierce, ML Stefanick, SW Flatt, L Natarajan, B Sternfeld, L Madlensky, WK Al-Delaimy, CA
Thomson,
S Kealey, R Hajek, BA Parker, VA Newman, B Caan, CL Rock
Journal of Clinical Oncology June 10, 2007
more fruits and vegetables
June 2007
Many studies have shown a link between improved survival after breast cancer and
healthy behaviors like eating a healthful diet, exercising, and keeping weight down.
Scientists now report that combining some of these healthy behaviors may improve it
even more.
They found that breast cancer survivors who exercised and also ate fruits and
vegetables increased their chance for survival -- even if they were obese.
The study, part of the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study (WHEL), assessed the
impact of lifestyle on longevity of 1490 women who had completed treatment for
early-stage breast cancer. Their diet and exercise habits were followed over a period
of five to eleven years.
Women with one type of breast cancer (hormone receptor positive) cut their fatality
rate in half -- from 14% to 7% -- by eating five or more servings of fruits and
vegetables each day and doing exercise equivalent to thirty minutes of walking six
days a week. Either behavior alone had a slight effect, but when the two were
combined, the benefit increased considerably.
Women who had hormone receptor-negative tumors did not get the same benefit.
Diet and exercise are thought to lower the level of circulating hormones which fuel the
growth of cancers that have hormone receptors on their cell surface.
When the study began, only 30% of participants in the average-weight group and
16% of those who were obese had a healthy lifestyle which combined eating five or
more servings of fruits and vegetables each day and doing the level of exercise that
improved survival.
In the general population, fewer than half of all breast cancer survivors do either the
moderate amount of exercise that improved survival for the women in this study or
consume as much produce. Some could live longer by adopting both of these simple
lifestyle changes.
Greater Survival After Breast Cancer in Physically Active Women With High Vegetable-Fruit
Intake Regardless of Obesity
JP Pierce, ML Stefanick, SW Flatt, L Natarajan, B Sternfeld, L Madlensky, WK Al-Delaimy, CA
Thomson,
S Kealey, R Hajek, BA Parker, VA Newman, B Caan, CL Rock
Journal of Clinical Oncology June 10, 2007
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