Breast Health Day: MEP backs drive to promote daily exercise in cancer fight

3.47.40pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 15th Oct 2009

Liz Lynne and other LibDem MEPs have strongly supported breast cancer awareness campaigns and are backing calls to women to get more active

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne is backing a Europe-wide campaign to urge women to take just a little more exercise and improve their breast health.

Thursday October 15th is Breast Health Day, which is this year being used by the European Breast Cancer Coalition (also known as Europa Donna) to highlight a call to women to become more physically active, after scientists found a clear link between physical activity and exercise and lower incidence of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer affects 430,000 women in Europe in new cases every year. Scientists have proved that just 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day could stop between 10 and 16% of all cases.

Liz Lynne MEP was co-chair of MEPs Against Cancer in the last Parliament and is leading the campaign to ensure it is set up again. Liz has worked closely with the Breast Cancer Coalition on a variety of campaigns and will continue to work with them to raise the profile of this issue across the European Union.

Liz said: "I hope that Breast Health Day this Thursday can highlight this message of hope for women. Quite apart from being a brilliant way to lose stress, the evidence now is overwhelming - keeping active can massively reduce the risk. Studies show exercise is twice as important as weight control in preventing breast cancer, which is still the biggest cancer killer in Europe.

"The benefits of exercise are enormous and the cost near zero. This campaign should be a top priority for health promotion agencies around Europe to help the splendid work being done by the charity coalition, promoting best practice in cancer screening and prevention."

Professor Peter Boyle, President of the International Prevention Research Institute and former Director of WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said:

"Physical activity is a crucial determinant to breast cancer risk, as a number of scientific studies conducted across decades demonstrate. In a recent evaluation in France, it was concluded that 10.1% of all breast cancers in 2000 could be attributed to physical inactivity. This should be compared with 4.8% attributable to overweight and obesity".

Simple activities such as getting off your bus one bus stop earlier or taking the stairs can be easily included in a daily routine and even household activities count. A mini-diary "More active today for your breast health tomorrow" with tips to make your lifestyle more active are on the website www.breasthealthday.org.

The site also urges women to get involved in the Breast Cancer charity coalition's 'viral campaign' by sending a personalised electronic postcard to their friends and family promoting exercise.

ENDS

Notes: About Breast Health Day

Europa Donna established Breast Health Day as an annual appointment on 15 October to remind girls and women in Europe about the importance of lifestyle factors that can influence their future breast health and help prevent breast cancer and the role of early detection in fighting breast cancer.

About breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide and in Europe, with estimated 430,000 new cases in European women every year. In Europe, breast cancer still claims the lives of more women than any other cancer. According to WHO, at least one third of all cancer cases are preventable. Excess body weight and physical inactivity are known risk factors that account for 25-33 percent of breast cancer cases.

About Europa Donna:

Europa Donna - The European Breast Cancer Coalition aims to improve awareness of breast health and healthy lifestyle factors that can help women live long, healthy lives. Europa Donna is a non-profit organisation representing the interests of European women regarding breast cancer to local and national authorities and to institutions of the European Union. Europa Donna has affiliated member groups in 44 European countries.