Physical activity and risk of renal cell carcinoma

grantor: University of TorontoThe role of physical activity in the development of renal cell carcinoma was examined using a population-based case-control study conducted in the province of Ontario. Physical activity was examined in several ways, including by intensity and during various life periods. Frequency-matching by five-year age groups and sex produced sets of 486 females (133 cases and 353 controls) and 447 males (172 cases, 275 controls) for recreational activity, and sets of 447 females (120 cases, 327 controls) and 387 males (152 cases, 235 controls) for occupational activity. Logistic regression analysis of the female recreational activity set revealed that relatively high amounts of recent recreational activity (odds ratio estimate (OR) = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.21-0.82 for the highest vs. lowest quartile of activity 2 years ago), as well as strenuous recreational activity (OR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.22, 0.75), were associated with a reduced risk of developing the disease. In men, a relatively high frequency of total and moderate recreational activity was associated with reduced risk (total, OR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.27, 0.87; moderate, OR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.27, 0.89), especially during the teen years. There was no association between occupational activity and cancer risk in women, although point estimates for men indicated an association between physical activity and reduced risk of cancer. The results of this study, in general, suggest that physical activity may be associated with a decreased risk of developing renal cell carcinoma.M.Sc