World Health Organization: exercise can reduce breast cancer risk
Feb 8, 2011
February 4 was World Cancer Day, and the World Health Organization's Assistant Director-General for Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health stressed the importance of regular exercise to help fight against the disease.
"Physical activity has a strong role to play in reducing the incidence of certain cancers," said Ala Alwan of the WHO. "Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for all global deaths, with 31 per cent of the world's population not physically active."
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), more than 60 research studies have focused on the relationship between physical activity and breast cancer. Most of the findings showed that women who regularly exercise have lower breast cancer risk, indicating that 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to intense daily exercise was beneficial for lowering breast cancer risk.
According to the group "Stand Up to Cancer," the disease in all of its forms will have killed about 84 million people between 2005 and 2015. While the National Cancer Institute reports over 200,000 women and almost 2,000 men diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 alone, regular mammograms and exercise can help prevent the disease in both men and women.