In addition to medical treatment advances, science has learned that lifestyle can play a role in the treatment as well as in preventing breast cancer in the first place. One important lifestyle factor that has emerged is that of physical activity. While weight loss and exercise have many important health benefits, the effect on insulin levels may be an underlying factor. First, here are some examples as to why exercise and weight can be so important:
At Time of Diagnosis:
- Women who are obese when they are diagnosed with breast cancer have a 33% higher risk of recurrence and death, when compared with normal weight women.
After Diagnosis:
- Women who are physically active after being diagnosed have a lower risk of cancer recurrence and death—a far greater association than any medical treatment. A meta-analysis of a total of over 12,000 breast cancer survivors showed that postdiagnosis physical activity was associated with a 24% and 34% lower rate of breast cancer recurrence and death, respectively, and a 41% lower rate of all-cause death.
- Women who gain weight after diagnosis have a higher risk of recurrence and death, no matter what their weight at the time of diagnosis.
Continue reading The Weight-and-Exercise Surprise: the Insulin Connection