A new study from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia suggests that exercise may help reduce the risk of breast cancer coming back.
Led by Ph.D. student Francesco Bettariga, the research was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute and focused on how physical activity affects inflammation in women treated for breast cancer.
Although treatments for breast cancer have improved, recurrence is still common, especially in more aggressive types, where the risk of cancer returning can be as high as 20% to 30%.
Bettariga explains that treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy can lead to chronic inflammation in the body, which might raise the risk of cancer coming back. Inflammation is thought to help cancer cells grow and spread.
To explore whether exercise could help, Bettariga studied women with non-metastatic breast cancer (cancer that hasn’t spread to other parts of the body).
The team looked at the effects of both resistance training (like weightlifting) and aerobic exercise (like walking, running, or cycling).
The results were promising. Women who regularly exercised showed a significant drop in three key inflammation markers.
While scientists are still studying exactly why this happens, one theory is that when you exercise, your muscles release chemicals that help reduce inflammation. Another idea is that gaining muscle and losing body fat through exercise helps lower inflammation.
“What we found is that doing both resistance and aerobic exercise gives the best results for reducing inflammation,” said Bettariga.
“Even though there are no official guidelines yet, we recommend doing moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise two to three times a week, and adding strength training a few times each week.”
This is especially important since breast cancer is very common. According to the World Health Organization, more than 2.3 million people are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide each year.
In Australia, breast cancer is the second most diagnosed cancer, after prostate cancer. Around 1 in 7 women in Australia will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Bettariga hopes to continue this research to better understand how changes in muscle and fat levels relate to inflammation and the risk of breast cancer returning. For now, his message is simple: regular exercise may help protect your health after breast cancer treatment—and it’s something you can start today.
If you care about breast cancer, please read studies about how eating patterns help ward off breast cancer, and soy and plant compounds may prevent breast cancer recurrence.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how your grocery list can help guard against caner, and a simple way to fight aging and cancer.
