title: Physical inactivity and low fitness deserve more attention to alter cancer risk and prognosis.
abstract: Sedentary lifestyle is associated with elevated cancer risk whereas regular physical activity (PA) and high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) have the opposite effect, with several biologic mechanisms mediating such associations. There is a need for lifestyle interventions aimed at increasing the PA levels and CRF of the general population and particularly cancer survivors. Furthermore, provocative data suggest a dose-dependent benefit of increasing levels of PA and/or CRF against cancer risk or mortality. Thus, current PA guidelines (≥150 min/wk of moderate-to-vigorous PA) may not be sufficiently rigorous for preventing cancer nor for extending cancer survivorship. Research targeting this issue is urgently needed. Promoting regular PA along with monitoring indicators of CRF and adiposity may provide powerful strategies to prevent cancer in populations, help patients with cancer more effectively deal with their disease and enhance secondary prevention programs in those who are affected by cancer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico Universitario/INCLIVA. Spain.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanchis-Gomar
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain. European University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lucia
authors.affiliation: School of Doctorate Studies and Research, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yvert
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro-Majadahonda, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Casado
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain. Fundación Investigación Hospital Clínico Universitario/INCLIVA. Spain.
authors.forename: Helios
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pareja-Galeano
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of León, León, Spain.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santos-Lozano
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain. European University, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiuza-Luces
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Hospital 12 de Octubre ("i+12"), Madrid, Spain. Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain.
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garatachea
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Chemistry and Hematology, Academic Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lippi
authors.affiliation: Human Genomics Laboratory, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouchard
authors.affiliation: Center for Science, Health and Society, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio. nab@case.edu.
authors.forename: Nathan A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Berger
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology*; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior