In the News: Alumna Weighs In on Exercise, Ovarian Cancer Risks

While the benefits of exercise for health and well-being are widely known, the negative effects of long-term physical inactivity are not common knowledge.

Two new studies conducted by Buffalo-based researchers, including senior author and Buffalo State alumna Kirsten Moysich, '92, are making headlines. The reports, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarker and Prevention and the British Journal of Cancer, have identified a correlation between leading a sedentary lifestyle and an increased risk for developing ovarian cancer.

“What we found, is that it is not OK to do nothing. Physical inactivity over a lifetime increases the risk of developing ovarian cancer and makes it more likely you will die if you get it,” Moysich, distinguished professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute’s Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, told the Buffalo News.

"Our findings suggest that any amount of regular, weekly recreational physical activity may reduce the risk for and improve survival from ovarian cancer,” Moysich told HealthDay.