A study by Pierce et al, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that women with breast cancer (regardless of hormone status) who consumed 5 or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and who exercised the equivalent of walking 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week, had a 50% reduction in risk of mortality.  The authors conclude that “The strong protective effect observed suggests a need for additional investigation of the effect of the combined influence of diet and physical activity on breast cancer survival.”

The women studied had initially been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.