Is physical inactivity and sedentary behavior associated with tumor stage in breast cancer patients? A cross-sectional study of Brazilian women

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT Objective A comparative analysis of the association between sedentary behavior versus physical activity levels and tumor staging in women with breast cancer. Methods The present research adopted a cross-sectional study design to recruit a total of 55 adult and elderly women newly diagnosed with breast cancer for data collection and analysis. Inclusion criteria involved patients in procession of a formal approval for participation in the study by the treating physician and those not hitherto subjected to the first cycle of chemotherapy. Results Physical activity levels did not influence the pathological stage of breast cancer (p=0.26) or histological tumor grade (p=0.07) in the analyzed subjects. However, there was a significant association between physical activity levels and responsiveness to hormones (epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2), p<0.05) in the analyzed subjects. Significant difference was detected in the histological tumor grade in relation to the mean time spent sitting during the weekend (p<0.05). However, sedentary behavior had no influence on the tumor stage (p>0.05). Conclusion Physical activity levels did not influence the tumor stage and histological tumor grade. Sedentary behavior had a significant influence on the histological tumor grade.