Examining associations between specific physical activity variables and cancer incidence

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 600,000 people in 2016. Yet, about 50% of all cancers are thought to be preventable, through increased screenings, and environmental and behavioral modifications. Research around the role of physical activity in the prevention of cancer has been expanding over the last ten years, demonstrating convincing evidence that physical activity does reduce the risk for many cancers, including breast, colorectal, lung, endometrial, and others. Yet, some questions remain around the specific attributes of physical activity, such as the type, frequency, intensity, and duration needed to improve cancer risk. The purpose of the following research was to explore these attributes of physical activity and subsequent cancer incidence among the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian cancer screening trial cohort.