A new study led by Curtin University revealed that lung cancer patients at incurable stages may survive longer if they engage in less than five minutes of physical activity every day. From the time of their diagnosis, the team kept an eye on 89 individuals with terminal lung cancer. After a year, they examined the death rates of individuals who participated in moderate-to-intense physical exercise and those who remained mostly sedentary, and they saw noteworthy differences.
Compared to those who were less active, those who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for more than 4.6 minutes a day had a mortality risk that was 60% lower after a year. In particular, early treatment of patients with inoperable lung cancer may benefit from this, according to study lead and former postdoctoral fellow of the Cancer Council of Western Australia, Associate Professor Vin Cavalheri.
"We previously demonstrated that people with inoperable lung cancer were highly sedentary and spent minimal time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity before the commencement of treatment," he said.
He added, “These new findings further indicate that healthcare providers should investigate a person's levels of physical activity in early management of inoperable lung cancer. We also need to evaluate what can be done to encourage people with inoperable lung cancer to exercise more, as 24 per cent of the study's participants engaged in less than one minute per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity.”