Regular Exercise Could Help Prevent Cervical Cancer In Women

There are so many good reasons to be physically active, and a new study by researchers at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in New York suggests that avoiding cervical cancer may be one of them. What we knew before: Exercise can help lower the risk of developing colon, breast, ovary and endometrial cancers, and this protective effect exists even when controlling for obesity and smoking rates. It is unclear what the link between physical activity and cervical cancer is, but past research has shown that women who exercised were also more likely to get screened for cervical cancer, suggesting a relationship between good exercise patterns and preventive health habits. The study details: The researchers recruited 128 white women with cervical cancer who were treated at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and matched them with 512 control women of the same race and age who were suspected of having a new, abnormal growth but were ultimately not diagnosed with cervical cancer.  Both groups of women filled out a questionnaire about their physical activity levels as defined by the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Women who said they were physically active less than once a week, or four times per month, were classified as “inactive." After analyzing the results, the researchers found that women who had cervical cancer had more than double the increased odds of reporting that they were physically inactive compared to the women who did not have cervical cancer. The s...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news