REGULAR exercise has been found to improve quality of life in cancer patients, in the first study into the long-term benefits of supervised physical activity during treatment.

Researchers at Strathclyde and Dundee universities revealed women who had taken part in an exercise programme during treatment for breast cancer five years ago now averaged three hours and 20 minutes more physical activity each week compared with a control group who did not participate in exercise.

The study, funded by Macmillan Cancer Support, followed 203 women who took part in the original 12-week supervised group exercise programme during treatment for early-stage breast cancer. Of those, 87 were reassessed at the five-year follow-up.

The results of the study, published today in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship, revealed the women who were more active consistently experienced lower levels of depression and increased quality of life compared to those who were less active.

It comes after a report by Macmillan last year also found two-and-a-half hours of exercise per week by cancer patients could reduce their risk of dying and minimise the side-effects of treatment.

Dr Anna Campbell, lecturer in Clinical Exercise Science at Dundee University and part of the research team who led the study, said: "This is the first study to follow cancer patients five years after a randomised controlled trial to determine if there are any lasting benefits of the exercise intervention.

"The results were much more positive than we had expected – with evidence of lasting benefits of increased positive mood and more active daily living.

"In particular, the women given the group exercise intervention were still achieving on average 50 to 350 minutes of extra physical activity per week compared to the controls – and this could most likely provide considerable health benefits to these cancer survivors.

"Qualitative data from the two groups five years later suggest the women who were part of the exercise group were now more independent exercisers and were not limited by as many barriers to exercise as the women who had not been allocated to exercise during treatment.

"Therefore these independent exercisers possibly experienced an increase in confidence through the behaviour change programme and/or through the positive effects of the group setting providing support and confidence."

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Scotland. In 2010, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 4457 women in Scotland were diagnosed with the disease – up 12% compared to 10 years earlier.

While incidence has been rising, driven partly by the ageing population and partly by increased detection through the Scottish Breast Screening Programme, the survival rate is improving.

In 2010, despite the 12% increase in breast cancer incidence, 1032 women died from breast cancer compared to 1122 in the year 2000 – an 8% decline in the mortality rate.

Elaine McNish, physical activity programme manager at Macmillan, said: "This latest research provides yet more evidence of the benefits of physical activity for people living with cancer during and after treatment.

"Macmillan's Move More campaign is calling for health professionals to talk to cancer patients about keeping active.

"In order for them to be able to signpost people to local services, we want public health com-missioners to commission physical activity services for cancer in the same way they do for heart disease."