The Study
Physical activity, sedentary behaviour, diet, and cancer: an update and emerging new evidence
This study is like a big summary of many other studies that watched people over time and noticed that those who moved more or ate healthier tended to get less cancer. But it didn’t make people change their habits to see if it actually caused less cancer — so we can’t say for sure that changing habits will prevent cancer.
Analysis score
Maximum 5 for a narrative review.
Where the score came from
This study looked at how how much people move, sit, and eat affects their chance of getting cancer.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 52 / 100
Quality score
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies. They sit above a single cohort study but below a single randomized trial, because the underlying evidence is still observational.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—these are big effects: moving more and sitting less could prevent many cancers, and even help survivors live longer.
- 2Moving a lot lowers cancer risk by 10% overall, and up to 25% for colon cancer.
- 3Sitting too much raises colon cancer risk by 54% and womb cancer by 66%.
- 4Even a little alcohol raises breast cancer risk.
- 5Being overweight raises risk for 13 cancers.
- 6Eating healthy foods like whole grains helps, but trials didn't prove it stops cancer.
- 7Moving after cancer diagnosis cuts death risk by 35%.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The Lancet. Oncology
Year
2017
Authors
J. Kerr, Cheryl L. Anderson, S. Lippman
Related Content
Claims (10)
People who are more physically active tend to have a lower risk of developing colorectal cancer, while those who spend more time sitting have a higher risk.
People who spend more time sitting or being inactive have a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer and endometrial cancer, even if they exercise regularly.
Even small amounts of alcohol are linked to a higher chance of developing breast cancer in women, whether they have gone through menopause or not.
People who engage in physical activity after being diagnosed with cancer have a 35% lower risk of dying from their cancer, especially those with breast or prostate cancer.
People with obesity have a higher likelihood of developing several types of cancer, including endometrial, postmenopausal breast, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers, and the risk increases with higher levels of body weight for endometrial and postmenopausal breast cancer.
People who engage in more physical activity have a lower risk of developing cancer overall, with particularly lower risks for colorectal cancer and colonic adenomas, based on data from large long-term studies of over a million adults.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.