Insight into the anti-cancer effect of exercise

	Tweet

The anti-cancer effects of exercise are due to increases in a protein that blocks cell growth and induces cell death, according to Australian researchers.

The protein, called insulin-like binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), inhibits another protein called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), thereby blocking IGF-1’s proliferative effect on cell growth, the study hints.

Dr. Andrew M. M. Haydon and colleagues at Manash Medical School in Melbourne identified new cases of colorectal cancer in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study, a prospective study of 41,528 adults recruited between 1990 and 1994.

The investigators looked at baseline body mass index and level of physical activity reported and compared baseline levels of IGF-1or IGFBP-3 with those measurements.

Analyses centered on 443 colon cancer patients followed for more than 5 years.

Among subjects who were physically active, an increase in IGFBP-3 was associated with a 48 percent reduction in colon cancer-specific deaths. No association was apparent for IGF-1.

For the physically inactive, there was no association between IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 and colon cancer survival.

Haydon told Reuters Health that that “physical activity can increase IGFBP-3 levels, which, in turn, reduces the amount of free IGF-1.” IGF-1 has been shown to stimulate cell growth, inhibit cell death, and promote angiogenesis—the formation of new blood vessels, which tumors need to grow.

“We did not look at the amount of physical activity needed to reduce colorectal cancer incidence, as we only looked at those from our cohort who had CRC,” Haydon pointed out.

“Other studies that have looked at this have shown a dose-effect, meaning the more exercise the lower the risk, however our study did not try to address this issue. We were examining the effect of physical activity on one’s prognosis following a diagnosis of bowel cancer and the possible mechanisms behind this effect.”

SOURCE: Gut, May 2006.

RELATED STORIES:
Study questions dioxin’s link to cancer   Obesity-Related Cancer on the Rise   Many cancer survivors still smoking and drinking   Novel Anti-Cancer Mechanism Found in Long-Lived Rodents   Smoking and hepatitis C up risk of lymphoma   Bone marrow transplantation may increase cancer resistance in patients   Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals Pose Cancer Risk   Yttrium-90 to control hepatocarcinoma   Chemotherapy Complications Greater than Previously Estimated   Online Information May Improve Cancer Patients’ Opinions About Doctors   Surgical technique relieves painful spine fractures in patients with metastatic cancer   Brain cell migration during normal development may offer insight on how cancer cells spread   Genes that both extend life and protect against cancer identified   Black Cancer Patients Less Likely than Whites to Receive the End-of-life Care They Prefer   Green Tea Blocks Benefits Of Cancer Drug   Olive oil may hinder cancer process   UCSD Researchers State Vitamin D Needed to Cut Cancer Risk   Herbal remedy shown to have anti-cancer effect   New data from the United States and Germany lluminates research in breast cancer   Diet, growth are major cancer causes: report   Habits explain poor women’s worse cancer outcome   Farmers’ kids at risk for Ewing’s sarcoma

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]