NORTH EAST MEP BACKS CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER (Fiona Hall MEP)

Fiona Hall MEP <info@fionahall.org.uk>

NORTH EAST MEP BACKS CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER

October 14, 2009 12:00 AM

Cllr Carol Woods and Fiona training for the 2006 Race for Life

Lib Dem MEP Fiona Hall is backing a Europe-wide campaign to urge women to take just a little more exercise and improve their breast health.

This Thursday (October 15th) is Breast Health Day, which is this year being used by the European Breast Cancer Coalition to highlight a call to women to become more physically active, after scientists found a clear link between physical activity and exercise and lower incidence of breast cancer.

Breast Cancer affects 430,000 women in Europe in new cases every year. Scientists have proved that just 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day could stop between 10 and 16% of all cases.

Fiona who belongs to the "MEPs Against Cancer" cross-party group in the European Parliament, said:

"Quite apart from being a brilliant way to reduce stress, the evidence now is overwhelming - keeping active can massively reduce the risk of breast cancer. I hope that the Breast Health Day message will highlight that exercise is twice as important as weight control in preventing breast cancer, which is still the biggest cancer killer in Europe.

Professor Peter Boyle, President of the International Prevention Research Institute and former Director of WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) said:

"Physical activity is a crucial determinant to breast cancer risk, as a number of scientific studies conducted across decades demonstrate. In a recent evaluation in France, it was concluded that 10.1% of all breast cancers in 2000 could be attributed to physical inactivity. This should be compared with 4.8% attributable to overweight and obesity".

Simple activities such as getting off your bus one bus stop earlier or taking the stairs can be easily included in a daily routine and even household activities count. A mini-diary "More active today for your breast health tomorrow" with tips to make your lifestyle more active can be found on the website www.breasthealthday.org.

The site also urges women to get involved in the Breast Cancer charity coalition's 'viral campaign' by sending a personalised electronic postcard to their friends and family promoting exercise.