A recent study published in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment from Edith Cowan University (ECU) suggests that a vigorous workout can promote anti-cancer proteins, cut cancer cell growth, and help cancer survivors fight the risk of recurrence by reducing inflammation levels and improving their body composition.
Fighting Cancer With Exercise
The paper describes how PhD student Mr. Francesco Bettariga found that a single bout of exercise (either resistance training or high-intensity interval training) increased the levels of myokines, a protein produced by muscles which have anti-cancer effects, and which could reduce the proliferation of cancer growth by 20 to 30%.
“Exercise has emerged as a therapeutic intervention in the management of cancer, and a large body of evidence exists that shows the safety and effectiveness of exercise as medicine, either during or post cancer treatment,” said Bettariga.
For this study, levels of myokins were measured before, immediately after, and 30 minutes after a single session of either high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or resistance training among breast cancer survivors. The analysis revealed that both sessions of exercise had produced a resultant increase in myokine levels.
While higher levels are typically expected in a healthy population, this study sought to determine if breast cancer survivors could achieve the same results, given the impacts that cancer treatments and cancer can often have on the body. In the future, the researchers suggest that the long-term implications of elevated myokine levels should be investigated, especially in relation to the recurrence of cancer.
“The results from the study show that both types of exercise really work to produce these anti-cancer myokines in breast cancer survivors. The results from this study are excellent motivators to add exercise as standard care in the treatment of cancer,” said Bettariga.
Targeting Inflammation
Further investigation looked at how changes in body composition following regular exercise could impact levels of inflammation. This is important because inflammation plays a key role in the recurrence of breast cancer and mortality by promoting tumor progression. The findings showed that consistent exercise reduces fat mass and increases lean mass, which gives the cancer survivors a better chance at reducing inflammation levels.
This is important because not only does persistent inflammation promote tumor progression by influencing cell proliferation, survival, invasiveness, and metastasis, but it also inhibits immune function. Given that the cancer itself and the side effects of the treatments elevate levels of inflammatory biomarkers, survivors of breast cancer are at increased risk of cancer progression, recurrence, and mortality.
“Strategies are needed to reduce inflammation which may provide a less supportive environment for cancer progression, leading to a lower risk of recurrence and mortality in survivors of breast cancer,” Mr Bettariga said.
“If we are able to improve body composition, we have a better chance of decreasing inflammation because we are improving lean mass and reducing fat mass, which is responsible for releasing anti and pro-inflammatory markers,” said Bettariga.
Quick Fixes Will Not Yield The Same Results
As for quick fixes like taking GLP-1 injections and strict diets to reduce fat mass: “You never want to reduce your weight without exercising, because you need to build or preserve muscle mass and produce these chemicals that you can’t do through just diet alone.”
