Why exercise can prevent cancer —Experts

EXPERTS have said that 45 minutes of intense exercise three times a week may reduce cancer risk in patients with Lynch syndrome, a genetic condition that can lead to cancer at a young age.

Researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre found that about 45 minutes of high-intensity cycling three days a week made the immune system more able to stamp out cancer cells.

The study’s lead, Professor Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez, stated that the study was to help give concrete recommendations on the required amount of exercise as people don’t adhere to vague lifestyle advice like ‘just exercise.’

Vilar-Sanchez hesitated to extend the study findings beyond people with Lynch syndrome, but he’s optimistic that they may apply to the general population as well.

“Exercise could be protective against other types of cancer through some of these mechanisms. The public should know that engaging in any form of exercise will somehow lead to effects in cancer prevention,” Vilar-Sanchez said.

The study was small (just 21 people), but it builds on a vast body of evidence linking regular exercise to a decreased risk of cancer, particularly colorectal cancer. It also went a step further to investigate how exercise might lower cancer risk.

All 21 people in the study had Lynch syndrome and were divided into two groups. One was given a 12-month exercise programme; the other was not.

The scientists checked their cardio and respiratory fitness and tracked immune cells — natural killer cells and CD8+ T cells — in the blood and colon tissues.

The researchers believe the changes relate to a boost in the body’s “immune surveillance” system for hunting down and clearing out cells that would otherwise become cancerous.

According to them, “These are the immune cells that are in charge of attacking foreign entities like cancer cells, and they were more active with the participants who exercised.”

Science already has evidence to support the idea that regular exercise can help prevent cancer.

A 2019 systematic review of over 45 studies and several million people found strong proof that exercise can reduce the risk of bladder, breast, colorectal, and gastric cancers by up to 20 percent.

The American Cancer Society recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week to reduce cancer risk, indicating that more than 15 percent of all cancer deaths, aside from tobacco-related cancers in the United States, are related to lifestyle factors, including physical inactivity, excess body weight, alcohol use and poor nutrition.