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Leisure-time physical activity and breast cancer risk by hormone receptor status: effective life periods and exercise intensity

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Abstract

Objective

Physical activity may decrease breast cancer risk. However, it is unclear what intensity of exercise and during which life periods this effect on decreasing risk is efficiently expressed, and whether the associations differ by the estrogen-/progesterone- receptor (ER/PR) status of tumors. We investigated associations between age- and intensity-specific leisure-time physical activity and ER/PR-defined breast cancer risk.

Methods

We conducted a hospital-based case–control study in Nagano, Japan. Subjects were 405 cases newly diagnosed (>99% known ER/PR) from 2001 to 2005, who were age-/area-matched with 405 controls. Activity was assessed with a self-reported questionnaire which considered intensity level (moderate and/or strenuous) at different ages (at 12 and 20 years, and in the previous 5 years). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using logistic regression.

Results

Strenuous but not moderate physical activity at age 12 was inversely associated with pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer risk across ER/PR subtypes [overall OR≥5 days/week vs. none = 0.24 (0.14–0.43)]. Moderate physical activity in the previous 5 years was significantly associated with a decrease in risk for postmenopausal ER + PR + tumors only [OR≥1 day/week vs. none = 0.35 (0.18–0.67)].

Conclusion

Strenuous activity in teens and moderate activity after menopause may contribute to a reduction in breast cancer risk.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

CIs:

Confidence intervals

ER:

Estrogen receptor

FFQ:

Food frequency questionnaire

IGF-1:

Insulin-like growth factor 1

OC:

Oral contraceptives

OR:

Odds ratio

PMH:

Postmenopausal hormones

PR:

Progesterone receptor

SHBG:

Sex hormone-binding globulin

SD:

Standard deviation

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Financial support

This study was supported by grants-in-aid for Cancer Research from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; and for Scientific Research on Priority Areas from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan. RS is an awardee of a Research Resident Fellowship from the Foundation for Promotion of Cancer Research (Japan) for the 3rd term Comprehensive 10-year Strategy for Cancer Control.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, Tsukiji 5-1-1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan

    Reiko Suzuki, Motoki Iwasaki, Taichi Shimazu & Shoichiro Tsugane

  2. Department of Surgery, Nagano Matsushiro General Hospital, Nagano, Japan

    Yoshio Kasuga

  3. Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Nagano Red Cross Hospital, Nagano, Japan

    Shiro Yokoyama & Hiroshi Onuma

  4. Department of Chest Surgery and Breast Surgery, Nagano Municipal Hospital, Nagano, Japan

    Hideki Nishimura

  5. Department of Surgery, Nagano Hokushin General Hospital, Nagano, Japan

    Ritsu Kusama

Authors
  1. Reiko Suzuki
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  2. Motoki Iwasaki
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  3. Yoshio Kasuga
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  4. Shiro Yokoyama
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  7. Ritsu Kusama
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  8. Taichi Shimazu
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  9. Shoichiro Tsugane
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Motoki Iwasaki.

Appendix

Appendix

See Table 5.

Table 5 Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between age-specific leisure-time physical activity and breast cancer risk by levels of body mass index among Japanese women in Nagano
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Suzuki, R., Iwasaki, M., Kasuga, Y. et al. Leisure-time physical activity and breast cancer risk by hormone receptor status: effective life periods and exercise intensity. Cancer Causes Control 21, 1787–1798 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-010-9605-7

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