ArticlePloS one2013
Breast cancer mortality vs. exercise and breast size in runners and walkers.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Exercise and survival benefit in cancer patients: evidence from a comprehensive meta-analysis.GeroScience · 2025Pooled it
- Risk assessment for endometrial cancer in women with abnormal vaginal bleeding: Results from the prospective IETA-1 cohort study.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2022Observational
- Radiation doses in the United Kingdom breast screening programmes 2016-2019.The British journal of radiology · 2022Article
- parkrun and the promotion of physical activity: insights for primary care clinicians from an online survey.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2022Article
- Physical Activity Before, During, and After Chemotherapy for High-Risk Breast Cancer: Relationships With Survival.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2021Article
- Pathology Examination of Breast Reduction Specimens: Dispelling the Myth.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2020Article
- Relationship between formulaic breast volume and risk of breast cancer based on linear measurements.BMC cancer · 2020Article
- Physical Activity and Mortality in Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.JNCI cancer spectrum · 2020Article
- Size matters: height, cell number and a person's risk of cancer.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2018Article
- Increasing preoperative body size in breast cancer patients between 2002 and 2016: implications for prognosis.Cancer causes & control : CCC · 2018Article
- Adipocytes promote malignant growth of breast tumours with monocarboxylate transporter 2 expression via β-hydroxybutyrate.Nature communications · 2017Article
- Novel drugs that target the estrogen-related receptor alpha: their therapeutic potential in breast cancer.Cancer management and research · 2014Review
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Abstract
purposeIdentify predictors of breast cancer mortality in women who exercised below (<7.5 metabolic equivalent hours/week, MET-hours/wk), at (7.5 to 12.5 MET-hours/wk), or above (≥12.5 MET-hours/wk) recommended levels.
methodsCox proportional hazard analyses of baseline pre-diagnosis MET-hours/wk vs. breast cancer mortality adjusted for follow-up age, race, baseline menopause, and estrogen and oral contraceptive use in 79,124 women (32,872 walkers, 46,252 runners) from the National Walkers' and Runners' Health Studies.
resultsOne-hundred eleven women (57 walkers, 54 runners) died from breast cancer during the 11-year follow-up. The decline in mortality in women who exercised ≥7.5 MET-hours/wk was not different for walking and running (P = 0.34), so running and walking energy expenditures were combined. The risk for breast cancer mortality was 41.5% lower for ≥7.5 vs. <7.5 MET-hours/wk (HR: 0.585, 95%CI: 0.382 to 0.924, P = 0.02), which persisted when adjusted for BMI (HR: 0.584, 95%CI: 0.368 to 0.956, P = 0.03). Other than age and menopause, baseline bra cup size was the strongest predictor of breast cancer mortality, i.e., 57.9% risk increase per cup size when adjusted for MET-hours/wk and the other covariates (HR: 1.579, 95%CI: 1.268 to 1.966, P<0.0001), and 70.4% greater when further adjusted for BMI (HR: 1.704, 95%CI: 1.344 to 2.156, P = 10(-5)). Breast cancer mortality was 4.0-fold greater (HR: 3.980, 95%CI: 1.894 to 9.412, P = 0.0001) for C-cup, and 4.7-fold greater (HR: 4.668, 95%CI: 1.963 to 11.980, P = 0.0004) for ≥D-cup vs. A-cup when adjusted for BMI and other covariates. Adjustment for cup size and BMI did not eliminate the association between breast cancer mortality and ≥7.5 MET-hour/wk walked or run (HR: 0.615, 95%CI: 0.389 to 1.004, P = 0.05).
conclusionBreast cancer mortality decreased in association with both meeting the exercise recommendations and smaller breast volume.
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