Sitting less, being more active can add years of life to postmenopausal cancer survivors

New research suggests that increasing daily step count and engaging in physical activity while reducing sitting time may reduce the risk of death from all cause and from cardiovascular disease (CVD) among postmenopausal women with a history of cancer.

Analysis of data from 2,479 postmenopausal cancer survivors (average age 74.3 years) in the Women’s Health Accelerometry Collaboration (WHAC) cohort who were followed for 8 years on average, those who achieved 5,000 to 6,000 steps per day and those who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of at least 1 hour daily showed the greatest benefit, with the all-cause mortality risk reduced by 40 percent in both, reported lead study author Dr Eric Hyde from the University of California San Diego in San Diego, California, US. [EPI|Lifestyle 2025, abstract 058]

For CVD-related mortality, every additional 2,500 steps taken daily yielded a 34-percent incremental risk reduction while 1 hour of MVPA was associated with a 60-percent decreased risk.

Hyde noted that although 5,000 steps per day and 1 hour of MVPA daily provided the maximum benefit, substantial reductions in the risk of death were seen at amounts below these levels.

In contrast, every 102-minutes of sitting time per day contributed to a 12-percent increased risk of all-cause mortality and a 30-percent higher risk of death from CVD.

“Our study helps us to better understand potential physical activity behaviours of postmenopausal women in relation to cancer survival,” Hyde said. “Encouraging cancer survivors to be more active, sit less, and take more steps every day could be a feasible approach for prolonging survivorship and reducing the risk of CVD mortality.”

Just moving helps

Commenting on the study, Dr Keith Diaz from the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, New York, US, pointed out that simply walking is beneficial.

“While structured exercise remains the most efficient and effective way to improve … health, these findings highlight that walking—at any intensity—matters. The road to an active lifestyle is more accessible than we often assume, and the benefits are available to everyone, including [patients] navigating life after cancer,” said Diaz who was not involved in the research.

“Another key takeaway from this study is the impact of sedentary time. Many adults now spend the majority of their day sitting, not engaged in physical activity. And for cancer survivors, this issue is likely even more pronounced due to the physical toll of cancer treatment and recovery,” he added.

Diaz stressed that prolonged sitting must be addressed, especially among people with cancer.

WHAC cohort

WHAC was a consortium of two studies—the Women’s Health Initiative and the Women’s Health Study—conducted between 2011 and 2015. Of the postmenopausal women included in the cohort, most (52 percent) had history of a breast cancer. Others had a history of endometrial cancer (8.5 percent), malignant melanoma (7.1 percent), colon cancer (6.6 percent), lung cancer (3.0 percent), bladder cancer (2.1 percent), rectal cancer (2.1 percent), ovarian cancer (2.1 percent), kidney cancer (1.7 percent), head and neck cancer (0.9 percent), and myeloma (0.7 percent). The remaining 13 percent had history of a cancer that was categorized as ‘other’.

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured using accelerometers that participants had to wear on the hip for at least 10 hours daily for up to 1 week. Physical activity included light physical activity, MVPA, total physical activity, and step counts. Sedentary behaviour was assessed as total sitting time during awake hours. Light physical activity included housework or slow walking, while MVPA involved brisk walking, running, bike riding, playing tennis, and heavy yardwork.              

According to Hyde, the study was limited by lack of data regarding cancer stage at diagnosis and treatment and by physical activity being measured only once following a cancer diagnosis.

“In future studies, physical activity should be measured at several critical time points such as before cancer diagnosis, during treatment, and after treatment to clarify how these changes in behaviour may relate to survival,” he said.