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Physical Activity After a Cancer Diagnosis May Increase Survival
ACS researchers found that even low amounts of weekly activity increased survival time for people with the most common cancer types, and some rare types.
Photo by Fitsum Admasu on Unsplash
Research studies often look at physical activity during "leisure time," which includes any movement done for the purpose of improving some aspect of personal health, such as taking part in sports; walking or biking for exercise; swimming or water aerobics; and participating in a class at the gym.
What was studied and why?
Research has shown that physical activity helps lower the risk of developing at least 7 types of cancer: bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, and some types of esophageal and stomach. (See the ACS Cancer Prevention Guideline.)
Research has also shown that being physically active after a cancer diagnosis may help survivors cope with side effects from treatment, improve quality of life, and decrease the risk of getting new types of cancer. (See the ACS Nutrition and Physical Activity Guideline for Cancer Survivors.)
For people diagnosed with one of these common cancers—breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer—research shows that physical activity may also improve the length of survival and decrease the risk of dying from any cause and from cancer specifically.
More thorough investigation is needed to see how exercise affects other types of cancer, too, because in the United States, less common cancers make up 77% of new cases and 84% of cancer deaths.
What made these ACS studies different?
American Cancer Society (ACS) researchers, led by Erika Rees-Punia, PhD, FACSM, and Alpa Patel, PhD, FACSM, recently led 2 studies that pooled data from 6 large US-based studies, including the ACS Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort (CPS-II NC). These studies included a larger number of cancer survivors and included more types of cancer, making them more comprehensive than previous ones.
In May 2025, researchers evaluated the relationship between physical activity after a cancer diagnosis and all causes of death for more than 90,000 cancer survivors with the average age of 67. The study, reported in the JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute, focused on people diagnosed with any of these types of cancer: bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, kidney, lung, oral, prostate, and rectal. They also reported on other types of respiratory cancer—laryngeal (voice box), nasal cavity and related sinuses, and tracheal.
This JNCI study was the first longitudinal study of the relationships between physical activity after a diagnosis of bladder cancer or oral cancer and the largest study among survivors of endometrial, kidney, and lung cancer.
In February 2026, a study reported in JAMA Network Open focused on people diagnosed with any of these 7 types of cancer that aren’t typically studied in relation to physical activity levels: bladder, endometrial, kidney, lung, oral, ovarian, and rectal. They evaluated the relationship between physical activity after a cancer diagnosis and death from cancer for more than 17,000 survivors. They also analyzed the relationship between the risk of dying from cancer and physical activity before a cancer diagnosis vs after a cancer diagnosis.
Get Moving After Cancer—It May Extend Your Life
Compared to being inactive, any amount of weekly moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity extends survival after a diagnosis of cancer in the breast, bladder, colon, endometrium, kidney, larynx, lung, nasal cavity and related sinuses, mouth, prostate, rectum, or trachea.
Plus, more time spent doing physical activity was related to even more longevity.
What did the researchers find?
Here are key research findings from the study in the JNCI about cancer survivors who were physically active after a cancer diagnosis compared to those who weren’t.
- As previous studies showed, people with a diagnosis of one of these common cancers—breast, colon, or rectal cancer—who did any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each week, survived longer and were less likely to die from any cause during the follow-up period (about 11 years after diagnosis) compared to people who weren’t active. Benefits occurred even when their weekly activity levels were lower than the recommended amount; plus, the benefits increased as the time spent being physically active increased, including among survivors who exceeded the recommended amount of physical activity.
- The same benefits for the common cancers occurred after a diagnosis of one of these more rare cancers—bladder, endometrial, kidney, lung, oral, prostate, and respiratory cancer—and any amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each week.
- Cancer survivors with a high BMI who did any amount of physical activity a week still had improved survival, even if they had a cancer related to obesity.
Here are key research findings from the study in JAMA Network Open about cancer survivors who were physically active after a cancer diagnosis compared to those who weren’t.
- People with bladder, endometrial, or lung cancer who did even low amounts of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each week were less likely to die from cancer; however, more physical activity was associated with an even lower risk of dying from cancer.
- Some results suggested that people with oral or rectal cancer may need to spend more time being physically active during the week to reduce the risk of dying from the cancer.
- People with lung or kidney cancer who met the guidelines for physical activity after diagnosis had a lower risk of dying from cancer even when they were inactive before diagnosis.
- People who met physical activity guidelines before they were diagnosed with cancer but not after diagnosis were not less likely to die from cancer.
Where might this study lead?
The stronger evidence from these studies about the benefits of exercise after a cancer diagnosis may better equip and encourage health care teams and exercise professionals to promote physical activity as a standard of care for those recently diagnosed with cancer.
Currently, the ACS recommends that as soon as possible after a cancer diagnosis, when patients may be most receptive to lifestyle changes—a period known as a “teachable moment”—an exercise professional or physical therapist assess a cancer survivor’s baseline level of physical activity and that a health care professional provides an exercise program based on that level.
Improved guidelines and more recommendations from health care providers have the potential to extend survival for many people who are living beyond cancer.
Next steps
More studies are needed:
- About physical activity and cancer survival in general, and particularly studies accounting for cancer stage and treatment.
- To pinpoint the optimal amount of physical activity required for longer survival among people with a history of cancer.
- To clarify whether relationships between physical activity and cancer vary by specific cancer site.
