Association of physical activity with overall mortality among long-term testicular cancer survivors: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Physical activity (PA) has been associated with reduced mortality among cancer survivors, but no study has focused on testicular cancer survivors (TCSs). We aimed to investigate the association of PA measured twice during survivorship with overall mortality in TCSs. TCSs treated during 1980 to 1994 participated in a nationwide longitudinal survey between 1998 to 2002 (S1: n = 1392) and 2007 to 2009 (S2: n = 1011). PA was self-reported by asking for the average hours per week of leisure-time PA in the past year. Responses were converted into metabolic equivalent task hours/week (MET-h/wk) and participants were categorized into: Inactives (0 MET-h/wk), Low-Actives (2-6 MET-h/wk), Actives (10-18 MET-h/wk) and High-Actives (20-48 MET-h/wk). Mortality from S1 and S2, respectively, was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator and Cox proportional hazards models until the End of Study (December 31, 2020). Mean age at S1 was 45 years (SD 10.2). Nineteen percent (n = 268) of TCSs died between S1 and EoS, with 138 dying after S2. Compared to Inactives at S1, the mortality risk among Actives was 51% lower (HR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.29-0.84) with no further mortality reduction among High-Actives. At S2, the mortality risk was at least 60% lower among the Actives, High-Actives and even the Low-Actives compared to the Inactives. Persistent Actives (≥10 MET-h/wk at S1 and S2) had a 51% lower mortality risk compared to Persistent Inactives (<10 MET-h/wk at S1 and S2; HR 0.49, 95% CI: 0.30-0.82). During long-term survivorship after TC treatment, regular and maintained PA were associated with an overall mortality risk reduction of at least 50%.