TY - JOUR
T1 - Physical activity and reduced risk of colon cancer
T2 - Implications for prevention
AU - Colditz, Graham A.
AU - Cannuscio, Carolyn C.
AU - Frazier, A. Lindsay
N1 - Funding Information:
Dr Colditz is with the Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and the Department of Epidemiology and Center for Cancer Prevention, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (USA). Dr Frazier is affiliated with Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Harvard Medical School, Boston MA. Ms Cannuscio is affiliated with the Department of Health and Social Behavior at Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA. Address correspondence to Dr Colditz, Channing Laboratory, 181 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Dr Colditz was funded by an American Cancer Society Faculty Research Award (FRA-398); Dr Frazier is supported by KO7CA62252 from the US National Cancer Institute.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - This paper reviews the consistency of the relation between increased physical activity and reduced risk of colon cancer, estimates the potential prevention benefit from increasing population levels of physical activity, and considers social strategies to increase activity levels. The published literature was reviewed systematically and supplemented by MEDLINE searches through March 1997. Studies that reported a measure of physical activity and outcomes of colon cancer or colorectal cancer were included. We excluded the first report of a study that was expanded subsequently by extended follow- up, and any study that did not report the methods for measurement of physical activity. Data were extracted including details on study size, methods of classifying physical activity, and outcomes. A consistent inverse relation was observed such that increased physical activity was associated with reduced risk of colon cancer. About a 50 percent reduction in incidence was observed among those with the highest level of activity across numerous studies that used different measures of activity (occupational or leisure- time activity). This association persisted in studies using multivariate analyses to control for diet and other known or suspected risk factors for colon cancer. Risk reduction was attenuated in those studies that combined colon and rectal cancer. This review indicates that greater attention should be placed on social strategies to increase physical activity as a means of preventing colon cancer.
AB - This paper reviews the consistency of the relation between increased physical activity and reduced risk of colon cancer, estimates the potential prevention benefit from increasing population levels of physical activity, and considers social strategies to increase activity levels. The published literature was reviewed systematically and supplemented by MEDLINE searches through March 1997. Studies that reported a measure of physical activity and outcomes of colon cancer or colorectal cancer were included. We excluded the first report of a study that was expanded subsequently by extended follow- up, and any study that did not report the methods for measurement of physical activity. Data were extracted including details on study size, methods of classifying physical activity, and outcomes. A consistent inverse relation was observed such that increased physical activity was associated with reduced risk of colon cancer. About a 50 percent reduction in incidence was observed among those with the highest level of activity across numerous studies that used different measures of activity (occupational or leisure- time activity). This association persisted in studies using multivariate analyses to control for diet and other known or suspected risk factors for colon cancer. Risk reduction was attenuated in those studies that combined colon and rectal cancer. This review indicates that greater attention should be placed on social strategies to increase physical activity as a means of preventing colon cancer.
KW - Colon cancer
KW - Physical activity
KW - Prevention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030857313&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1023/A:1018458700185
DO - 10.1023/A:1018458700185
M3 - Review article
C2 - 9242482
AN - SCOPUS:0030857313
SN - 0957-5243
VL - 8
SP - 649
EP - 667
JO - Cancer Causes and Control
JF - Cancer Causes and Control
IS - 4
ER -