Lifetime physical activity and prostate cancer risk

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Oncology
• Public Health

Background:

• Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in men globally.
• The role of physical activity in prostate cancer development remains incompletely understood.
• Investigating occupational and leisure-time physical activity across different life stages is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between physical activity at work and in leisure-time during various life periods and prostate cancer risk.
• To determine if occupational physical activity influences prostate cancer risk across different age groups.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study was conducted in Italy from 1991 to 2002.
• Included 1,294 incident prostate cancer cases and 1,451 controls.
• Unconditional multiple logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Highest levels of occupational physical activity were associated with reduced prostate cancer risk at ages 30-39 (OR=0.78) and 50-59 (OR=0.75).
• A significant inverse trend in risk was observed for occupational physical activity at ages 30-39 and 50-59.
• No significant association was found between leisure-time physical activity and prostate cancer risk.

Conclusions:

• Occupational physical activity, especially during mid-adulthood, may be inversely associated with prostate cancer risk.
• The findings suggest potential hormonal mechanisms, but socioeconomic confounding cannot be ruled out.
• Further research is needed to confirm these associations and explore underlying biological pathways.