Regular excercise increases potential for survival

Patients already diagnosed with breast cancer should keep their weight in check in order to improve their survival odds, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The researchers calculate that the risk of dying from breast cancer increases by 14% with every 11lb of weight put on by a patient after a breast cancer diagnosis has been made.

The correlation between increased amounts of weight gain and increased chances of mortality was significant, according to the authors of the study, presented Friday, Dec. 7, at a conference in Philadelphia of the American Association for Cancer Research.

The study involved tracking 4,021 women in three states (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin) during the period 1988-2001. All of them had already been diagnosed with breast cancer, and after providing baseline data to the researchers, the patients regularly sent updated information on their risk factors and lifestyle habits including diet and exercise.

The findings included:

* For every 11lb of weight added after breast cancer diagnosis, the risk of death from breast cancer or other causes rose by 14%.

* The link between increased weight and increased death risk remained even after accounting for differences in age, status of menopause, smoking, and the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis.

* For women classified as obese — having body-mass index of 30 or more — the risk of death was 2.4 times that for women having normal weight.

Previous research studies have shown that increasing weight can increase the risk of developing breast cancer by about 1.5 times, but these did not examine the risk of death. This is the first research that looks at the effects of weight and weight gain, diet and exercise after breast cancer diagnosis.

The researchers believe sex hormone levels (estrogen) change in response to weight gain, and this may account for the higher risk, particularly of hormone-dependent cancers like breast cancer.

Women produce estrogen in significant quantities before the menopause. But fat cells also supply estrogen, thus larger amounts of body fat would impact the level of estrogen circulating in the body.

In addition, it is possible that patients undergoing chemotherapy become very tired and ill, thus they no longer want to engage in physical activity and exercise. This new study provides a powerful inducement to prevent any weight gains, going forward.

Safety Tip:
* Eat a healthful diet and exercise at least 30 minutes a day. What you do after diagnosis is still important. Diet and exercise definitely increase your potential for survival.