Breast Cancer Prevention

Exercise and Breast Cancer Risk

If you exercise regularly and keep your weight down, you will lower your risk for developing breast cancer after menopause. Compared to thinner women, women who are obese (a body mass index of 30 or higher) have a much higher risk of developing breast cancer after menopause, which is when most women develop breast cancer.

Gaining weight as an adult also seems to increase your breast cancer risk. The Nurses' Health Study found that women who gained more than 20 pounds after age 18 were at much higher risk for breast cancer compared to women who did not gain weight during adulthood.

Body shape is also key. Women who put on weight around the middle (the "apple shape") are at greater risk for breast cancer than women who carry extra pounds in the hips and thighs. Exercise is more effective than dieting at trimming fat from around the waist.

Research is ongoing on the topic of exercise and breast cancer. More research needs to be done to answer specific questions on how much women should exercise and at what intensity, what types of exercise are most beneficial, and the association between exercise and breast cancer for minority women in the United States.

In addition, research is needed to determine the additive effects of these risk-reducing measures: exercise, diet, alcohol avoidance, and the use of tamoxifen. For more on exercise and breast cancer, see: Breast Fitness: An Optimal Exercise and Health Plan for Reducing Your Risk of Breast Cancer, by Anne McTiernan, M.D., Ph.D.; Julie Gralow, M.D.; and Lisa Talbot, M.P.H. Used with permission.

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