Boost Survival Rate with Stronger Muscles in Cancer Patients

Physical Fitness and Cancer Survival Rates

According to a comprehensive data analysis published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, there is a significant connection between muscular strength, high physical fitness, and decreased mortality rates in cancer patients. This suggests that you could potentially improve your survival chances by implementing tailored exercise regimes to increase muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Global Cancer Statistics

In 2022, the global cancer diagnosis reached 20 million and nearly 10 million fatalities were reported due to this life-threatening disease. Experts project these trends to rise in the future. Despite significant advancements in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, side effects including those affecting your heart and muscles, can negatively impact your survival rate.

Link Between Exercise, Muscle Strength, and Cancer Survival

Researchers have begun exploring potential options to extend the survival of people diagnosed with cancer. They are investigating whether muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with lower risks of death, and whether the type and stage of cancer are significant factors. To this end, they analyzed relevant English studies up until August 2023, including a total of 42 studies involving nearly 47,000 patients (average age 64) with various cancer types and stages.

Researchers defined low muscle strength using handgrip strength, as less than 13 kg to less than 25 kg in women, and from less than around 20 kg to less than 40 kg in men. Cardiorespiratory fitness was then measured using either cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) or the 6 minute walk test (MWT).

Impact of Strength and Fitness on Cancer Mortality

The results from the pooled data analysis revealed that both muscular strength and cardiorespiratory fitness were heavily associated with the risk of death from any cause and specifically from cancer.

Compared to those with poor muscle strength and low cardiorespiratory fitness, people with high fitness and strength levels had a 31%-46% lower risk of death from any cause. Each additional unit of muscular strength further reduced this risk by 11%.

Moreover, this combination of strength and fitness was linked to an 8%-46% lower risk of death in patients with advanced cancer (stages 3 and 4), as well as a 19%–41% lower risk in patients with lung or digestive cancers. An increase in fitness level was linked to an 18% lower risk of death from cancer itself.

These findings underscore the potential use of muscle strength as a clinical indicator of mortality risk in cancer patients, especially those in advanced stages. This suggests that muscle-strengthening activities could help increase life expectancy in cancer patients.