Exercise – both aerobic and resistance training – may potentially reduce the recurrence rate of breast cancer, according to new research.
Despite the advances made in breast cancer treatment, recurrence remains common and continues to contribute to higher mortality risks.
In more aggressive cancers, the risk of recurrence can be as high as between 20% to 30%, Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found.
“The treatment of breast cancer, which can include chemotherapy, radiation therapy or endocrine therapy, could increase inflammation in the body.
“Chronic inflammation may increase the risk of the recurrence of breast cancer, as inflammation may promote cancer cell progression and development,” said ECU lead researcher Francesco Bettariga said.
Exercise may reduce inflammation
The ECU research investigated the effects of exercise in women with non-metastatic breast cancer and found that a combination of resistance exercise and aerobic exercise could reduce pro-inflammatory biomarkers.
“Our research found that three markers of inflammation were significantly reduced by consistent exercise, which is a very encouraging result,” said Mr Bettariga.
The exact mechanisms behind the reduction in inflammation has yet to be determined. One theory is that exercise results in the body’s muscles releasing a chemical which could be reducing inflammation.
Another theory is that the reduction in inflammation markers could be a result of increases in muscle mass and reductions in body mass, as both may contribute to modulate inflammation.
“What our research was able to confirm was that a combination of both resistance and aerobic exercises had the greatest potential to reduce inflammation,” said Mr Bettariga.
“While there are currently no guidelines on how much exercise to do, we would suggest moderate to high intensity aerobic exercises twice to three times weekly, with resistance training added in a few times per week.”
In Australia, breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer, following prostate cancer. A woman’s lifetime risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer is one in seven, while for men it is one in 556.
The researchers hope further research may identify the potential correlation between the reduction of fat mass and an increase in muscle mass with a decrease in inflammatory markers.
The full paper is published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
