One study suggests that exercise can improve the effectiveness and survival of anticancer drugs.
Scientists have found that proteins released by the body to help repair exercise-worn muscles also attack cancer cells.
After proving their theory in mice, they analyzed data from a human trial of 75 pancreatic cancer patients.
One group was asked to do one hour of strength training and 90 minutes of aerobic exercise per week before surgery to remove the tumors.
Those who followed the six-week training program had a 50% higher overall five-year survival rate than those who did not follow the regimen.
Scientists have long touted the benefits of exercise in reducing people’s risk of developing cancer, but this study suggests it may also help people suffering from the disease.
Scientists discovered that people and mice with pancreatic cancer who received an exercise regimen were better able to fight the disease (stock image)
Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York found that exercising for 30 minutes, five times a week, reduced cancer occurrence by 50 percent in mice with cancer.
Another test, in which mice were regularly run on a treadmill for three weeks, reduced the weight of the tumor by 25 percent.
It has been found that stimulating adrenaline through exercise stimulates the body to produce more of a protein called interleukin-15.
This increases the ability of CD8 T cells, a cell of the immune system, to attack and kill pancreatic cancer cells.
The researchers then analyzed the results of the 2017 human clinical trial.
These patients were asked to perform strength exercises such as resistance bands, strength training or yoga for 30 minutes twice a week.
They were also instructed to take a brisk 30-minute walk at least three times a week.
They followed the regimen for six weeks before undergoing surgery to remove their tumor.
Regular blood tests showed that patients who exercised had more CD8 T cells.
And looking at the medical records, the researchers found that these patients had a 50% higher survival rate after five years.
NYU researchers said the study results show for the first time how even small amounts of exercise can help treat pancreatic cancer.
They said this is critical for pancreatic cancer because there are such limited treatment options.
Scientists hope the discovery will eventually lead to better treatment for people with this disease, who are often discovered too late and suffer with few options.
Dr. Emma Kurz, oncologist and lead author of the study, said: “Our results show for the first time how aerobic exercise affects the immune microenvironment in pancreatic cancers.”
“The study helped to demonstrate that IL-15 signaling activation in pancreatic cancer could be an important therapeutic approach in the future.”
To further test the theory, the scientists also tested whether exercise could improve conventional cancer treatments in mice.
On its own, this immunotherapy was found to increase the production of cancer-killing cells by 66%.
But when the mice were on the exercise regimen, the production of cancer-killing cells increased by 175 percent.
NYU Grossman professor Dafna Bar-Sagi, a biochemist and another author of the study, said the results show potential exercise could be for treating pancreatic cancer.
“The fact that even mild exercise can profoundly alter the tumor environment demonstrates the potential of this approach to treat patients with a devastating disease burden and few options,” he said.
The researchers said they now plan to host another clinical trial that will look at the effect of exercise on pancreatic cancer patients.
They published their findings in the journal Cancer Cell †.
Pancreatic cancer is extremely deadly, in part because of the difficulty in detecting and treating it.
About 95 percent of people who take it die from it.
About 9,000 Britons die of pancreatic cancer each year. In the United States, this figure is around 50,000.
The best chance of curing the cancer is surgery to remove the cancerous tissue, but only 10% of people have this option because it is normally not discovered until the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
The NHS board states that adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
They should also do muscle-strengthening exercises at least two days a week.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
