The effect of resistance exercise on all-cause mortality in cancer survivors

Abstract

Objective: To examine the independent associations of leisure-time aerobic physical activity (PA) and resistance exercise (RE) on all-cause mortality in cancer survivors.

Patients and methods: Patients included 2863 male and female cancer survivors, aged 18 to 81 years, who received a preventive medical examination between April 8, 1987, and December 27, 2002, while enrolled in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study in Dallas, Texas. Physical activity and RE were assessed by self-report at the baseline medical examination. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to determine the independent associations of PA and RE with all-cause mortality in participants who had a history of cancer.

Results: Physical activity in cancer survivors was not associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality. In contrast, RE was associated with a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality (95% CI, 0.45-0.99) after adjusting for potential confounders, including PA.

Conclusion: Individuals who participated in RE during cancer survival had a lower risk for all-cause mortality. The present findings provide preliminary evidence for benefits of RE during cancer survival. Future randomized controlled trials examining RE and its effect on lean body mass, muscular strength, and all-cause mortality in cancer survivors are warranted.

Copyright © 2014 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Figures

Figure 1

Kaplan-Meier survival curves for all-cause mortality by resistance exercise among cancer survivors, Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, Dallas, Texas, 1987 to 2003.

Figure 2

Multivariate*-adjusted hazard ratios of all-cause mortality according to resistance exercise performed at least 1 day per week across physical activity groups, Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study, Dallas, Texas, 1987 to 2003. *adjusted by age, gender, body mass index, current smoking (yes or no), heavy drinking (yes or no), hypertension (present or not), diabetes (present or not), hypercholesterolemia (yes or no), and parental history of cancer (yes or no).