Regular exercise leads to better survival rates among men with prostate cancer, a new study has found.

The research analysed data on 4,623 men in Sweden with early-stage prostate cancer between 1997 and 2002. They also completed lifestyle questionnaires on their physical activity levels and general health up to 2012.

The men who walked or cycled daily for at least 20 minutes after their diagnosis had a 39 per cent decreased risk of dying from prostate cancer and a 30 per cent decreased risk of dying from any cause, compared to those who were less active.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm - which carried out the study - say the association between exercise and prostate cancer could be related to hormones, fat tissue or inflammation.

They plan to further investigate how different types of exercise and varying body weights impact risk and survival of the disease.

In the U.S. alone, about 210,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year and around 28,000 die of it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Previous studies have found links between physical activity and survival in cancer patients, but few have looked at prostate cancer.

The report, Physical activity and survival among men diagnosed with prostate cancer, is published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.