Prospective study of physical activity and risk of primary adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and stomach in the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and nutrition) cohort.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the association between types of physical activity (occupational, recreational and household, vigorous and overall) and risk of primary oesophageal (OAC) or gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC).


METHODS
From nine European countries, 420,449 participants were recruited between 1991 and 2000 and followed-up for a mean of 8.8 years to register incident GAC and OAC. Information on physical activity (PA), diet, lifestyle and health-related variables was obtained at baseline. Helicobacter pylori infection status was considered in a subset of 1,211 participants. Analyses were repeated by tumour site (cardia/non-cardia) and histological type (intestinal/diffuse).


RESULTS
During the follow-up, 410 GAC and 80 OAC occurred. A lower risk of overall and non-cardia GAC was found for increasing levels of a PA index which combined occupational PA with weekly time spent in sports and cycling. The hazard ratio (HR) of GAC was 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94, for the comparison between active and inactive participants according to the PA index (HR = 0.44, 95% CI:0.26-0.74, for non-cardia GAC). No effect was found for cardia tumours or histological subtypes of GAC. PA of any kind was not associated with OAC.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall and distal (non-cardia) gastric tumours were inversely associated with time spent on cycling and sports and a total PA index. No association was found for any type of PA and risk of cardia cancers of the stomach.
Huerta
José María
JM
CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain. jmhuerta.carm@gmail.com
Navarro
Carmen
C
Chirlaque
María-Dolores
MD
Tormo
María-José
MJ
Steindorf
Karen
K
Buckland
Genevieve
G
Carneiro
Fátima
F
Johnsen
Nina Føns
NF
Overvad
Kim
K
Stegger
Jakob
J
Tjønneland
Anne
A
Boutron-Ruault
Marie-Christine
MC
Clavel-Chapelon
Françoise
F
Morois
Sophie
S
Boeing
Heiner
H
Kaaks
Rudolf
R
Rohrmann
Sabine
S
Vigl
Matthäus
M
Lagiou
Pagona
P
Trichopoulos
Dimitrios
D
Trichopoulou
Antonia
A
Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita
H
H
Monninkhof
Evelyn M
EM
Numans
Mattijs E
ME
Peeters
Petra H
PH
Mattiello
Amalia
A
Pala
Valeria
V
Palli
Domenico
D
Tumino
Rosario
R
Vineis
Paolo
P
Agudo
Antonio
A
Ardanaz
Eva
E
Arriola
Larraitz
L
Molina-Montes
Esther
E
Rodríguez
Laudina
L
Lindkvist
Björn
B
Manjer
Jonas
J
Stenling
Roger
R
Lund
Eiliv
E
Crowe
Francesca L
FL
Key
Timothy J
TJ
Khaw
Kay-Tee
KT
Wareham
Nicholas J
NJ
Jenab
Mazda
M
Norat
Teresa
T
Romaguera
Dora
D
Riboli
Elio
E
González
Carlos A
CA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*