Study Links Exercise With Reduced Mortality in Childhood Cancer Survivors

Vigorous exercise was associated with a lower risk of mortality in adult survivors of childhood cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology and presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting.  

The multicenter cohort study included 15,450 adult cancer survivors who were diagnosed before age 21 at pediatric tertiary hospitals in the United States and Canada between 1970 and 1999 who were enrolled in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, with follow-up through December 31, 2013. Patients self-reported vigorous exercise in metabolic equivalent task (MET) hours per week. 

Is vigorous #exercise and change in exercise associated with a reduction in mortality in adult survivors of #childhood #cancer? Find out from @sloan_kettering researchers https://t.co/esqVUUgaIQ #ASCO18

— JAMA Oncology (@JAMAOnc) June 10, 2018

During a median follow-up of 9.6 years (interquartile range = 15.5 years), 1,063 deaths were reported: 811 were health-related, 120 were recurrence/progression of primary cancer, and 132 were external/unknown causes. 

At 15 years, the cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality was: 

• 11.7% for those who exercised 0 MET-hours per week 
• 8.6% for 3-6 MET-hours per week 
• 7.4% for 9-12 MET-hours per week 
• 8.0% for 15-21 MET-hours per week 

Among 5,689 survivors in this group, those who increased the intensity of their exercise over an eight-year period had a 40% reduction in their mortality rate compared with those with a low level of exercise. #ChildhoodCancer #ASCO18

— Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (@sloan_kettering) June 3, 2018

Among a subset of 5,689 survivors, increased exercise over an 8-year period was associated with a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality rate compared with maintenance of low exercise (rate ratio = 0.60; 95% CI 0.44-0.82; P=0.001). 

Source: JAMA Oncology