A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has found evidence to suggest that female cyclists could be benefitting from reduced likelihood of breast cancer.

The research, carried out by the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg, appeared to show that the more cycling a woman did, the lower her chance of developing breast cancer. Earlier studies have shown that exercise may help to prevent cancer, but has not shown cycling to be particularly beneficial, as this study does.

However, cancer researchers have emphasised that the results could have been swayed by several factors, such as women being more likely to remember and record any cycling activity than other forms of exercise.

As usual the final word is that further tests need to be conducted. Still, the research does appear to further support the belief that exercise, including cycling, has many health benefits. And one of these might well be helping to fight cancer by boosting the immune system.

For the full story see the beeb’s slightly contrairy article.