WHI report says physical activity may help prevent death due to ovarian cancer

Women who engage in vigorous physical activity before a diagnosis of ovarian cancer may be at lower risk of dying of the disease, according to a new report by investigators from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI).

Published in Gynecologic Oncology, the findings are from a prospective assessment of the association of measured body mass index (BMI) and self-reported physical activity with ovarian cancer-specific and all-cause mortality in 600 postmenopausal women enrolled in WHI. All of the participants were diagnosed with primary ovarian cancer before enrollment in WHI and their height, weight, and reported physical activity levels were determined at the baseline visit for WHI inclusion. Associations between BMI, physical activity, and mortality endpoints were examined through Cox proportional hazard regression.

When compared to no vigorous-intensity physical activity, vigorous-intensity physical activity was associated with a 26% lower risk of ovarian cancer specific-mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56-0.98) and a 24% lower risk of mortality from all causes (HR = .76; 95% CI: 0.58-0.98). No association was found between mortality and BMI.

The investigators concluded that vigorous-intensity physical activity performed before a diagnosis of ovarian cancer may be associated with a lower risk of mortality from the disease.

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