Regular Article

British Journal of Cancer (2001) 85, 1311–1316. doi:10.1054/bjoc.2001.2096 www.bjcancer.com
Published online 30 October 2001

Physical activity and risk of cancer in middle-aged men

S G Wannamethee1, A G Shaper1 and M Walker1

1Department of Primary Care and Population Science, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London NW3 2PF, UK

Received 9 May 2001; Revised 31 July 2001; Accepted 2 August 2001.

Top

Abstract

A prospective study was carried out to examine the relationship between physical activity and incidence of cancers in 7588 men aged 40–59 years with full data on physical activity and without cancer at screening. Physical activity at screening was classified as none/occasional, light, moderate, moderately-vigorous or vigorous. Cancer incidence data were obtained from death certificates, the national Cancer Registration Scheme and self-reporting on follow-up questionnaires of doctor-diagnosed cancer. Cancer (excluding skin cancers) developed in 969 men during mean follow-up of 18.8 years. After adjustment for age, smoking, body mass index, alcohol intake and social class, the risk of total cancers was significantly reduced only in men reporting moderately-vigorous or vigorous activity; no benefit seen at lesser levels. Sporting activity was essential to achieve significant benefit and was associated with a significant dose-response reduction in risk of prostate cancer and upper digestive and stomach cancer. Sporting (vigorous) activity was associated with a significant increase in bladder cancer. No association was seen with colo-rectal cancer. Non-sporting recreational activity showed no association with cancer. Physical activity in middle-aged men is associated with reduced risk of total cancers, prostate cancer, upper digestive and stomach cancer. Moderately-vigorous or vigorous levels involving sporting activities are required to achieve such benefit. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.com

Keywords:

physical activity, cancer

Top

References

  1. Albanes D, Blair A and Taylor PR (1989) Physical activity and risk of cancer in the NHANES I Population. Am J Public Health 79: 744–750 | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  2. American Cancer Society (1992) Cancer Prevention Study II. American Cancer Society Prospective Study. Stat Bull Met Ins Comp 72: 21–29
  3. Bennett A and Del Tacca M (1992) Prostaglandins in human colonic carcinoma. Gut 16: 409
  4. Cox DR (1972) Regression models and life tables. J R Stat Soc (B) 34: 187–220 | ISI |
  5. Gerhardsson L (1997) Physical activity in the prevention and management of cancer. World Rev Nutr Diet 82: 240–249
  6. Giovannucci E, Ascherio A, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ and Willett WC (1995) Physical activity, obesity, and risk for colon cancer and adenoma in men. Ann Intern Med 122: 327–334 | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  7. Giovannucci E, Leitzmann M, Spegelman D, Rimm EB, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ and Willett WC (1998) A prospective study of physical activity and prostate cancer in male health professionals. Cancer Research 58: 5117–5122
  8. Hackney AC, Sinning WE and Bruot BC (1988) Reproductive hormonal profiles of endurance-trained and untrained males. Med Sci Sports Exerc 20: 60–65
  9. Hartman TJ, Albanes D, Rautalahti M, Tangrea JA, Virtamo J, Stolzenberg R and Taylor PR (1998) Physical activity and prostate cancer in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene (ATBC) Cancer Prevention Study (Finland). Cancer Causes Control 9: 11–18 | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  10. Kampert JB, Blair SN, Barlow CE and Kohl HW (1996) Physical activity, physical fitness and all-cause and cancer mortality: a prospective study of men and women. Ann Epidemiol 6: 452–457 | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
  11. Lee I-M (1995) Exercise and physical health: cancer and immune system. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 4: 286–291
  12. Lee I-M and Paffenbarger RS (1994) Physical activity and its relation to cancer risk: a prospective study of college alumni. Med Sci Sports Exerc 26: 831–837 | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  13. Lee I-M, Manson JE, Ajanu U, Paffenbarger RS, Hennekens CH and Buring JE (1997) Physical activity and risk of colon cancer: the Physicians' Health Study. Cancer Causes Control 8: 568–574
  14. Lee I-M, Sesso HD and Paffenbarger RS (1999) Physical activity and risk of lung cancer. Int J Epidemiol 28: 620–625 | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
  15. Liu S, Lee I-M, Linson P, Ajani U, Buring JE and Hennekens CH (2000) A prospective study of physical activity and risk of prostate cancer in US physicians. Int J Epidemiol 29: 29–35
  16. McTiernan A, Ulrich C, Slate S and Potter J (1998) Physical activity and cancer etiology: associations and mechanisms. Cancer Causes Control 9: 487–509 | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  17. Moore MA, Park CB and Tsuda HT (1998) Physical exercise: a pillar for cancer prevention. Eur J Cancer Prevention 7: 177–193
  18. Oliveria SA and Christos PJ (1997) The epidemiology of physical activity and cancer. Ann N Y Acad Sci 833: 79–90
  19. Oliveria SA and Lee I-M (1997) Is exercise beneficial in the prevention of prostate cancer?. Sports Medicine 23: 271–278
  20. Paffenbarger RS, Hyde RT and Wing AL (1987) Physical activity and incidence of cancer in diverse populations: a preliminary report. Am J Clin Nutr 45: 312–317 | PubMed | ISI |
  21. Reddy BS and Wynder EL (1977) Metabolic epidemiology of colon cancer. Fecal bile acids and neutral sterols in colon cancer patients and patients with adenomatous polyps. Cancer 39: 2533–2539 | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  22. Severson RK, Nomura AM, Grove JS and Stemmerman GN (1989) A prospective analysis of physical activity and cancer. Am J Epidemiol 130: 522–529 | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  23. Shaper AG, Pocock SJ, Walker M, Cohen NM, Wale CJ and Thomson AG (1981) British Regional Heart Study: cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged men in 24 towns. B M J 283: 179–186
  24. Shaper AG, Wannamethee G and Walker M (1988) Alcohol and mortality: explaining the U-shaped curve. Lancet ii: 1268–1273
  25. Shaper AG, Wannamethee G and Weatherall R (1991) Physical activity and ischaemic heart disease in middle-aged British men. Br Heart J 66: 384–394 | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  26. Shephard RJ and Shek PN (1998) Associations between physical activity and susceptibility to cancer. Sports Med 26: 293–315
  27. Singh P and Rubin N (1993) Insulin like growth factors and binding proteins in colon cancer. Gastroenterol 105: 1218–1237
  28. Slattery ML, Potter J, Caan B, Edwards S, Coates A, MA K-N and Berry TD (1997) Energy balance and colon cancer – beyond physical activity. Cancer Research 57: 75–80
  29. Taylor HL, Jacobs DR, Schucker B, Knudsen J, Leon AS and Debacker G (1978) A questionnaire for the assessment of leisure time physical activities. J Chronic Dis 31: 741–755 | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
  30. Thune I and Lund E (1994) Physical activity and the risk of prostate and testicular cancer: a cohort study of 53,000 Norwegian men. Cancer Causes Control 5: 549–556 | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
  31. Thune I and Lund E (1996) Physical activity and risk of colorectal cancer in men and women. Br J Cancer 73: 1134–1140
  32. Thune I and Lund E (1997) The influence of physical activity on lung-cancer risk: a prospective study of 81516 men and women. Int J Cancer 70: 57–62
  33. Walker M, Shaper AG, Lennon L and Whincup PH (2000) Twenty year follow-up of a cohort study based in general practices in 24 British towns. J Public Health Med 22: 479–485 | Article | PubMed | ChemPort |
  34. Weiderpass E, Grindley G, Nyren O, Ekbom A, Persson I and Adami HO (1997) Diabetes mellitus and risk of large bowel cancer. J Natl Cancer Inst 89: 660–661
  35. Wilson PWF, Paffenbarger RS, Morris JN and Havlik RJ (1986) Assessment methods for physical activity and physical fitness in population studies: report of a NHLBI workshop. Am Heart J 111: 1177–1192