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Every exercise bout matters: linking systemic exercise responses to breast cancer control

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment volume 162, pages 399–408 (2017)Cite this article

Abstract

Cumulative epidemiological evidence shows that regular exercise lowers the risk of developing breast cancer and decreases the risk of disease recurrence. The causality underlying this relation has not been fully established, and the exercise recommendations for breast cancer patients follow the general physical activity guidelines, prescribing 150 min of exercise per week. Thus, elucidations of the causal mechanisms are important to prescribe and implement the most optimal training regimen in breast cancer prevention and treatment. The prevailing hypothesis on the positive association within exercise oncology has focused on lowering of the basal systemic levels of cancer risk factors with exercise training. However, another rather overlooked systemic exercise response is the marked acute increases in several potential anti-cancer components during each acute exercise bout. Here, we review the evidence of the exercise-mediated changes in systemic components with the ability to influence breast cancer progression. In the first part, we focus on systemic risk factors for breast cancer, i.e., sex hormones, insulin, and inflammatory markers, and their adaptation to long-term training. In the second part, we describe the systemic factors induced acutely during exercise, including catecholamines and myokines. In conclusion, we propose that the transient increases in exercise factors during acute exercise appear to be mediating the positive effect of regular exercise on breast cancer progression.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Danish Cancer Society and the Danish Cancer Research Foundation. The Centre for Physical Activity Research (CFAS) is supported by a grant from TrygFonden. During the study period, the Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism (CIM) was supported by a grant from the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF55). CIM/CFAS is a member of DD2—the Danish Center for Strategic Research in Type 2 Diabetes (the Danish Council for Strategic Research, Grant Nos. 09-067009 and 09-075724).

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  1. Centre of Inflammation and Metabolism (CIM) and Centre for Physical Activity Research (CFAS), Rigshospitalet, Faculty of Health Science, Copenhagen University Hospital, 7641, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Christine Dethlefsen, Katrine Seide Pedersen & Pernille Hojman

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  1. Christine Dethlefsen
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  2. Katrine Seide Pedersen
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Correspondence to Pernille Hojman.

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Dethlefsen, C., Pedersen, K.S. & Hojman, P. Every exercise bout matters: linking systemic exercise responses to breast cancer control. Breast Cancer Res Treat 162, 399–408 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-017-4129-4

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Keywords

  • Breast cancer
  • Acute exercise
  • Chronic training
  • Systemic factors