(RNN) - A woman increases her breast cancer risk by drinking one small alcoholic drink a day and can decrease it with vigorous exercise, a new study finds.
Exercises like running and fast bicycling reduce the risk of both pre- and post-menopausal breast cancers, according to the study by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund.
"Having a physically active lifestyle, maintaining a healthy weight throughout life and limiting alcohol - these are all steps women can take to lower their risk,” Dr. Anne McTiernan, a lead author of the report and a cancer prevention expert at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said in a news release.
McTiernan said strong evidence confirmed an earlier finding that moderate exercise decreases the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer.
The study analyzed 119 studies worldwide and had information about 12 million women and 260,000 cases of breast cancer.
In other findings, the report said:
- Being overweight or obese increases the risk of post-menopausal breast cancer.
- Mothers who breastfeed are at lower risk for breast cancer.
- Greater adult weight gain increases risk of post-menopausal breast cancer.
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