Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 14, 2026

Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Breast Cancer-related Lymphedema
Published on: January 12, 2017
Effects of physical activity on breast cancer prevention: a systematic review
Ana Katherine Gonçalves1, Gilzandra Lira Dantas Florencio, Maria José Maisonnette de Atayde Silva
1Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil.
Background:
Observational studies have reported an association between physical activity and breast cancer risk reduction. This study aims to evaluate the effect of physical activity on breast cancer prevention.
Methods:
Articles were identified through literature available on Electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scielo, Cochrane, CINAHL, Cancerlit, and Google Scholar) and manual searches. Case control and cohort studies were assessed for methodological quality, using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.
Results:
Size, population, components, and characteristics of physical activity, and menopausal status were documented. Review Manager 5.1 performed analysis using the statistical method of Mantel-Haenszel. Fixed-effect analysis with dichotomous data, testing subgroups and calculating odds ratio with a confidence interval of 95% were used.
Main Results:
7 cohort studies and 14 case control studies were evaluated. Statistical evidence found that physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer in case-control studies [OR = 0.84 (0.81-0.88)] (heterogeneity 72%) and cohort studies [OR = 0.61 (0.59-0.63)] (heterogeneity 100%).
Conclusion:
Physical activity seems to prevent breast cancer mainly in postmenopausal women.
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Cancer Prevention
Some...
Cancer Survival Analysis
Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
The mTOR pathway or the...
