Endometrial Cancer Risk Lowered with Moderate Exercise, Coffee

A new study has suggested that the risk of developing endometrial or womb cancer may be lowered by doing a minimum of 30 minutes exercise per day, drinking coffee and maintaining a healthy weight.

The findings, published Wednesday by American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) and the World Cancer Research Fund International (WCRF) reinforced the notion that obesity is the leading cause of cancer.

"AICR now estimates that most cases of endometrial cancer (59 percent, or about 29,500 every year) could be prevented in the U.S. if women were active for at least 30 minutes a day and maintained a healthy body weight," the group said in a statement.

The WCRF executive director Karen Sadler said: 'To reduce the risk of womb and other cancers, World Cancer Research Fund recommends being as lean as possible without becoming underweight and being active for at least 30 minutes every day.

The study also revealed evidence that drinking coffee can cut the risk of womb cancer as it contains antioxidants which may boost health. However, experts note there is not sufficient evidence to recommend drinking coffee to protect against the disease.

The study found evidence that about 3,700 cases could be prevented every year if women were active for 38 minutes a day and maintained a healthy body weight.

Study author Dr Teresa Norat of Imperial College told the BBC: "If you are physically active and if you don't have excess body weight you can reduce your risk of womb cancer and improve your health in general."

"The link between obesity and endometrial cancer is the most consistent and strong association found in the nutrition and cancer literature," panel lead Dr. Elisa Bandera, an epidemiologist at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, said in an article on the American Institute for Cancer Research website.

Endometrial cancer, cancer of the womb lining - affects 1 in 50.000 women in the U.S. every year. The symptoms, which include bleeding, occur early on making it easier for women to be diagnosed in the earlier stages before the cancer becomes fatal. More than 49,000 U.S. women will get diagnosed with the disease in 2013, the National Cancer Institute notes, and about 8,200 women will die from the cancer.