Exercise After Cancer Diagnosis May Lower Mortality Across Less Studied Cancers

Large pooled cohort analysis suggests moderate to vigorous physical activity after diagnosis is associated with improved survival in bladder, lung, endometrial, and other less commonly studied cancers

In a pooled analysis of more than 17,000 cancer survivors, any amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity after diagnosis was associated with lower cancer mortality across several less commonly studied cancers, with stronger associations at higher activity levels.

Study Details

A new study published in JAMA Network Open looked at whether exercise after a cancer diagnosis is linked to better survival in cancers that are not commonly included in prior research. Most earlier studies focused on breast, prostate, and colon cancers. This analysis instead examined:

• Bladder

• Endometrial

• Kidney

• Lung

• Oral

• Ovarian

• Rectal

Researchers from the American Cancer Society pooled data from six large U.S. health studies to better understand how physical activity relates to long-term survival in these groups.

Methodology

The study included 17,141 survivors of the seven cancers listed above. Participants completed surveys about their leisure-time physical activity over many years. Activity levels were measured in metabolic equivalent hours per week, which reflect both intensity and duration of exercise. Researchers grouped participants by how much moderate to vigorous physical activity they reported after diagnosis.

The main outcome was death from cancer. Average follow-up was nearly 11 years.

Key Findings

• Survivors of bladder, lung, and endometrial cancer showed clear reductions in cancer mortality across multiple activity levels.

• Survivors of oral, ovarian, and rectal cancers appeared to benefit more at higher activity levels.

• Kidney cancer showed a consistent trend toward benefit, but results were not statistically significant.

• People who were inactive before diagnosis of lung or rectal cancer still had lower mortality risk if they became active after diagnosis.

• In general, higher levels of activity were associated with greater reductions in risk.

Implications for Practice

For patients, this study suggests that moving more after a cancer diagnosis may be associated with longer survival, even in cancers that have not been widely studied in this context. Importantly, benefits were seen even among people who were previously inactive.

For clinicians, these findings extend exercise-oncology evidence beyond the most common cancers and support current guideline recommendations of about 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity per week.

Because this was an observational study, it cannot prove that exercise directly causes improved survival. However, the consistent associations across multiple cancers and large cohorts strengthen the case for promoting physical activity as part of survivorship care.

Further research will likely clarify the ideal dose and whether recommendations should vary by cancer type.