Exercise may lower risk of types of breast cancer that are more difficult to treat

Harvard Bell Fellow Lindsay Kobayashi, PhD, is co-lead author on a study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment that has found that among post-menopausal women, moderate-to vigorous-physical activity (e.g., cycling, running, swimming) measured throughout the lifetime is linked to a reduced risk of the types of breast cancer (triple negative) that are not as responsive to hormonal therapies and are, therefore, more difficult to treat. Physical activity across the lifetime related to the household (chores, cleaning, etc.) is associated with a reduced risk for the receptor-positive types of breast cancer.