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esearchers
using a new method of assessing risk factors for prostate cancer have found an
intriguing link between a lack of physical activity and an increased risk of
this condition.
Share on PinterestNew
evidence suggests that being physically active could help slash prostate cancer
risk.
Prostate cancer is
the second most common type of cancer among males
both in the United StatesTrusted Source and worldwideTrusted Source.
According
to data from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), by the end of 2019, there
will have been an estimated 174,650 new cases of prostate cancer in the U.S. alone.
Despite
the number of people that this cancer affects every year, specialists still
have insufficient knowledge about the risk factors that may play a role in its
development.
The
NCI cite a mix of modifiable and nonmodifiable factors, including age, a family
history of prostate cancer, and the levels of vitamin E, folic acid,
and calcium in the body.
Yet
there may be other lifestyle-related factors at play, and investigators are
hard at work to uncover them.
Recently,
a team of researchers from the University of Bristol and Imperial College London
in the United Kingdom — alongside colleagues from other academic institutions
across the globe — have used a different approach to try to find out more about
prostate cancer risk factors.
In
their new study, the findings of which now appear in the International Journal of
Epidemiology, the investigators used a method called "Mendelian
randomization."
Mendelian randomizationTrusted Source allows researchers
to look at genetic variations to assess causal relationships between various
potential risk factors and the development of certain outcomes — in this case,
prostate cancer.
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Physical activity may more than halve risk
In
their study, the researchers identified potential risk factors for prostate
cancer through the World Cancer Research Fund's (WCRF) 2018 systematic review of the evidence.
They
also had access to the medical information of 79,148 participants with prostate
cancer, as well as 61,106 participants without cancer who acted as the
controls.
The analysis revealed that individuals with a
genetic variation that increased their likelihood of being physically active
had a 51% lower risk of prostate cancer than people who did not have this
genetic variation.
Moreover,
the researchers explain that "physical activity," in this case,
refers to all forms of activity, not just exercise.
Following
on from this, the study authors conclude that interventions encouraging males
to ramp up their levels of physical activity may have a protective effect
against this widespread form of cancer.
"This
study is the largest-ever of its kind, which uses a relatively new method that
complements current observational research to discover what causes prostate
cancer," notes study co-author Sarah Lewis, Ph.D.
"It
suggests that there could be a larger effect of physical activity on prostate
cancer than previously thought, so will hopefully encourage men to be more
active."
Sarah Lewis, Ph.D.
Anna
Diaz Font, who is head of research funding at WCRF — which, alongside Cancer
Research U.K., funded this study — emphasizes the importance of the current
findings.
"Up
till now, there has only been limited evidence of an effect of physical
activity on prostate cancer. This new study looked at the effect of 22 risk
factors on prostate cancer, but the results for physical activity were the most
striking," she says.
The
study's findings, Diaz Font believes, "will pave the way for even more
research, where similar methods could be applied to other lifestyle factors, to
help identify ways men can reduce their risk of prostate cancer."
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