It’s one of the only carotenoids that accumulates in the retina. When taken with the other (lutein), it works to protect your eyes from the harmful free radicals behind macular degeneration.

But there may be a lot more to zeaxanthin than that. In fact, research indicates this plant-derived compound could help protect against one of our most dreaded diseases…

Could zeaxanthin help against cancer?

Building on years of work by the lab of Dr. Jing Chen of the University of Chicago, researchers led by Chen sought to better understand how nutrients influence the immune system.

Zeaxanthin has already demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. When screening an extensive blood nutrient library, the team identified zeaxanthin as a compound that directly enhances the activity of a certain type of immune cell (CD8+ T cells) that kills tumor cells. CD8+ T cells rely on a structure known as the T cell receptor (TCR) to recognize and destroy abnormal cells.

Upon interacting with cancer cells, the researchers discovered zeaxanthin stabilizes and strengthens the formation of the TCR complex on CD8+ T cells. This, in turn, triggers more robust intracellular signaling that boosts T cell activation, cytokine production and, importantly, tumor-killing ability.

Then, the researchers tested zeaxanthin in mouse models of cancer. Dietary supplementation with zeaxanthin in these mouse models slowed tumor growth. Plus, when combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors — a type of immunotherapy that has transformed cancer treatment in recent years — zeaxanthin significantly enhanced anti-tumor effects compared to immunotherapy alone.

The researchers extended the findings by testing human T cells engineered to recognize specific tumor antigens. They found that treatment with zeaxanthin improved the ability of these cells to kill melanoma, multiple myeloma, and glioblastoma cells in laboratory experiments.

“Our data show that zeaxanthin improves both natural and engineered T-cell responses, which suggests high translational potential for patients undergoing immunotherapies,” Chen says.

To sum up, the researchers discovered in laboratory and mouse studies that zeaxanthin may strengthen the cancer-fighting activity of immune cells as well as boost the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy.

Chen says the researchers “were surprised” to uncover zeaxanthin’s new function as an immune booster. “Our study shows that a simple dietary nutrient could complement and strengthen advanced cancer treatments like immunotherapy,” he says.

Zeaxanthin’s many benefits and more to come

Clearly, these results are promising. However, the researchers stress that the work is still at an early stage, with most of the findings coming from laboratory and animal studies.

“Our findings open a new field of nutritional immunology that looks at how specific dietary components interact with the immune system at the molecular level,” Chen says. “With more research, we may discover natural compounds that make today’s cancer therapies more effective and accessible.”

Zeaxanthin is naturally found in vegetables like orange peppers, sweet potatoes, spinach and kale. It’s also available in over-the-counter supplements for eye health, with benefits that go far beyond.

It’s inexpensive, widely available and well-tolerated. It also has a known safety profile, which means it can be safely tested as an adjunct (or addition) to cancer therapies.

Although this research is in its early stages, there really are no downsides to adding zeaxanthin-rich foods or a supplement containing zeaxanthin to your diet today. You’ll be protecting your eye health — and potentially giving yourself a boost against cancer as well.

Sources:

Plant-based nutrient can boost immune cells’ ability to fight cancer — Medical Xpress

Zeaxanthin augments CD8⁺ effector T cell function and immunotherapy efficacy — Cell Reports Medicine

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My husband is a good example. While I seem to catch every bug that’s going around, he shrugs them off almost every time.

The key likely lies in the immune system. This complex network of cells and organs protects the body from infection by recognizing and destroying “intruders” like the bacteria, viruses and fungi that cause disease. The immune system is also a central player in fighting off cancer.

We know the immune system can malfunction in some people and become weak and underactive. Researchers have been exploring this phenomenon to get to the root cause, and in the process they’ve discovered something interesting at the molecular level….

How T cells get exhausted

One issue with an insufficient immune system is that the T cells gradually lose their ability to fight off invaders — a condition known as T cell exhaustion. A team of researchers in Germany has clarified the molecular mechanisms controlling this.

The exhaustion process can be traced to the mitochondria. These “powerhouses” are responsible for converting fuel into energy for all the cells in your body in a process called respiration. When mitochondrial respiration fails, it triggers a cascade of reactions that ends in the reprogramming of T cells and their eventual burnout.

To demonstrate that mitochondrial dysfunction is the actual cause of T cell exhaustion, the researchers developed a new genetic model that paralyzes mitochondrial respiration in T cells by switching off the mitochondrial phosphate transporter (SLC25A3).

Turning off SLC25A3 forces the T cells to switch to alternative metabolic pathways to meet their energy demands. This metabolic adaptation increases production of reactive oxygen species in the T cells. These elevated levels of oxygen radicals prevent the degradation of a particular protein (HIF-1-alpha) that, when it accumulates in the T cells, causes them to be reprogrammed and speeds up their exhaustion.

“This HIF-1-alpha-dependent control of T-cell exhaustion was previously unknown,” says Dr. Martin Vaeth at the Institute for Systems Immunology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg. “It represents a critical regulatory circuit between mitochondrial respiration and T cell function, serving as a ‘metabolic checkpoint’ in the process of T-cell exhaustion.”

What this means is this process may be counteracted through pharmaceutical or genetic enhancement of cellular metabolism, increasing the T cells’ longevity and functionality.

Improved immunotherapies

Vaeth says the researchers are optimistic that their findings will contribute to improved cancer immunotherapy. For example, CAR-T cell therapy has shown great effectiveness in treating leukemia and lymphoma. CAR-T cells are lymphocytes engineered in the lab to fight the respective form of cancer.

However, when it comes to solid tumors, CAR-T cells tend to get exhausted, limiting their success in fighting these forms of cancer.

“Our experiments demonstrate that augmented mitochondrial metabolism also increases the longevity and functionality of virus-specific T cells in chronic infections,” Vaeth says. Therefore, it’s plausible this strategy could be harnessed to enhance T cell-based immunotherapies for cancer.

The next step for the researchers is to explore how mitochondrial respiration influences the epigenetic programming of T cells as well as the way T cell metabolism interacts with the local tissue microenvironment. The latter is particularly important because the nutrient supply and oxygen tension in tumors differ considerably from healthy tissue. T cells must be able to actively respond to this challenging environment when fighting cancer.

The care and feeding of your mitochondria

As interesting as these results are, it will be years before they result in any therapeutics. Until then, there may be a couple of ways to help your own T cells avoid burnout by energizing your mitochondria…

One way is exercise. How does exercise help? It clears out the defective mitochondria through a process called mitophagy. And it gives your other mitochondria the kickstart they need to be more effective.

Consider this 3-minute HIIT workout. This high-intensity workout will not only juice up your mitochondria, it will also help improve your insulin mechanism and stave off insulin resistance.

Another way is to supplement pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a powerful antioxidant that is believed to not only improve the function of mitochondria but may help replenish them.

Sources:

1. Immunology: disfunction of mitochondria drives the exhaustion of T cells — EurekAlert!

2. Mitochondrial dysfunction promotes the transition of precursor to terminally exhausted T cells through HIF-1α-mediated glycolytic reprogramming — Nature Communications

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If detected early, melanoma is one of the more curable forms of cancer.

In 2018, Dr. James Allison of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Dr. Tasuku Honjo of Kyoto University won the Nobel Prize for Physiology for their discovery of cancer therapy by inhibition of negative immune regulation.

Their work paved the way for the development of checkpoint inhibitors, a new class of cancer drugs that allows the immune system to see cancer cells as the invaders they are.

This type of immunotherapy treatment has proven to be very helpful in treating skin cancer, but it looks like a common vitamin may make the therapy even more effective…

Having enough vitamin D makes immunotherapy more effective

In a study published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, researchers reported that people with melanoma may respond better to immunotherapy treatment using immune checkpoint inhibitors if their vitamin D levels are within a healthy range.

According to the National Cancer Institute, immune checkpoints are a normal part of the immune system that helps keep the immune response from being too strong. But putting a “brake” on immune response can sometimes keep T cells from killing cancer cells. Inhibiting that action with specially designed drugs allows T cells to better kill cancer cells.

Results of the study showed that 56 percent of patients with a normal baseline vitamin D level, whether achieved through nutrition or supplements, had a positive response to the immune checkpoint inhibitors, as opposed to just 36 percent of those with low levels of vitamin D.

The researchers say that vitamin D’s effectiveness comes from its ability to strengthen the immune system, as well as some other effects that can help stop cancer cells from proliferating.

Vitamin D levels matter

I can’t say I was surprised by this news. Just earlier this year, I reported on a study that found vitamin D supplementation halved the risk of melanoma in a group of 498 adults researchers had determined to have an increased risk for skin cancers

“Of course, vitamin D is not itself an anti-cancer drug, but its normal serum level is needed for the proper functioning of the immune system, including the response that anti-cancer drugs like immune checkpoint inhibitors affect,” said lead author Łukasz Galus, MD, of Poznan University of Medical Sciences, in Poland.

“In our opinion, after appropriately randomized confirmation of our results, the assessment of vitamin D levels and its supplementation could be considered in the management of melanoma.”

Even if you’re lucky enough not to be battling cancer, vitamin D is essential to life. Among other things, it helps regulate blood sugar and slows brain aging.

Look for nutritional sources of vitamin D in foods like:

• Salmon
• Canned tuna
• Sardines
• Beef liver
• Fortified orange juice, milk, and cereals
• Egg yolk

Of course, the sun is the most natural source of vitamin D, but if you have skin cancer or want to avoid it, sun exposure may not be best. A good vitamin D3 supplement can help.

Sources:

Higher vitamin D levels may bolster immunotherapy treatments for cancer — Medical News Today

Vitamin D supplementation increases objective response rate and prolongs progression-free time in patients with advanced melanoma undergoing anti-PD1 therapy Cancer

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor — National Cancer Institute

Vitamin D — Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

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In addition to causing cold sores (or worse), the virus has also been linked to increased risk for dangerous brain inflammation and doubling your chances of developing Alzheimer’s.

Having the herpes virus in your system can even leave you vulnerable to multiple sclerosis and cause you to suffer from chronic constipation.

But what if the virus that can wreak so much havoc could also be used for good?

That’s exactly the word from scientists at the Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) in London who’ve created a genetically-engineered version of the herpes virus they’ve used to eradicate or shrink tumors in terminally ill patients.

Tumors disappeared, shrank or stopped progressing

After developing a weakened version of the herpes simplex virus, the scientists at ICR injected it directly into the tumors of patients with advanced skin, esophageal and head and neck cancers.

And here’s what happened:

• One man with salivary gland cancer had his tumor disappear completely and he remained cancer-free for 15 months after the start of the treatment.
• Three out of nine patients treated with the genetically-engineered virus saw their tumors shrink
• Seven out of 30 patients treated with a combination of the virus and immunotherapy also benefitted from treatment — with six remaining cancer progression-free at 14 months.
• Four out of nine patients with melanoma had their cancer’s growth shrink or halt completely.
• Two out of eight patients with the eye cancer known as uveal melanoma grabbed the same benefit.
• The viral injection halted or shrunk cancer growth in one out of three patients with head and neck cancer.

A two-pronged attack on tumors

How can a virus that can do so much damage to the body offer such amazing cancer-fighting benefits?

Well, according to the researchers, injecting the weakened virus into a tumor launches a two-pronged attack.

Study leader Professor Kevin Harrington, Professor of Biological Cancer Therapies at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, explains it this way: “Our study shows that a genetically engineered, cancer-killing virus can deliver a one-two punch against tumors — directly destroying cancer cells from within while also calling in the immune system against them.”

As the virus multiplies within cancer cells, it causes them to burst from within. At the same time, it blocks a protein called CTLA-4, which releases the brakes on the immune system so that it can do its job and go to work killing cancer cells.

Professor Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, sums it up by saying, “Viruses are one of humanity’s oldest enemies, as we have all seen over the pandemic. But our new research suggests we can exploit some of the features that make them challenging adversaries to infect and kill cancer cells.”

Sources:Genetically modified herpes virus delivers one-two punch against advanced cancers — The Institute of Cancer Research

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Superfoods such as berries, beets, kale and green tea can do everything from reducing inflammation and improving your blood sugar to promoting healthy blood flow and fighting heart issues.

But there’s one superfood that hasn’t necessarily received the attention it deserves — the pomegranate.

This juicy red fruit is not only packed with antioxidants, but it also possesses rich levels of a compound known as urolithin A. It’s a compound that has been found to have the power to revive aging and defective mitochondria ­­— the powerhouses of your cells — to help keep your muscles stronger longer and extend your lifespan.

And now a new study has revealed that this one compound also has the potential to power the fight against colorectal cancer, and possibly all other forms of cancer as well.

The role of the immune system in colon cancer

Colorectal cancer is gotten a lot of attention in the last couple of years. Not only is it impacting younger people, like beloved actor Chadwick Boseman who lost his battle at just 43, but it carries high mortality rates in advanced stages.

And while some progress has been made in recent years that has improved early diagnosis and therapy, not all patients respond to the current therapeutic approaches.

One of the reasons for this is due to a specific characteristic of cancer tumors: immune dysfunction.

Basically, it works like this…

When you get cancer, immune cells in your body that are supposed to fight the tumor are actually suppressed by the surrounding tissue of the tumor or the tumor microenvironment.

When this happens, T cells, which are your body’s natural immune response against cancer, are restricted in their function, allowing the tumor to grow and spread uncontrollably.

And that’s where urolithin A comes in.

Supporting immune cells in their fight against cancer

Researchers in Frankfurt using preclinical models, as well as in studies on human immune cells, have now found that urolithin A is capable of improving the function of immune cells in their battle against cancer.

And it all has to do with its effects on mitochondria that also help your muscles.

The researchers found that because urolithin A kicks off a biological pathway that recycles and renews mitochondria inside the T cells that are necessary to fight off cancer, defective T cells are removed and replaced by new, functional ones.

Those T cells become T memory stem cells — potent immune stem cells that, due to their ability to divide, constantly supply the immune system with rejuvenated, non-exhausted T cells.

This makes your body better able to fight the tumor.

The researchers say that this fact opens up the door to using urolithin A not only in the treatment of colorectal cancer but also in other cancers as well.

Pomegranate power, let me count the ways

So it looks like someday soon, pomegranates may take their place in cancer therapy.

In the meantime, you can up your levels of urolithin A by simply enjoying a juicy pomegranate, sipping pomegranate juice or taking a urolithin A supplement.

There are even more good reasons to enjoy pomegranates or pomegranate juice…

Need to lower your cholesterol, pomegranate can help!

When brain cells called microglia become inflamed, they can damage neurons and accelerate dementia. Pomegranate can help here too.

And the benefit to male health is a long list you’ll have to read here.

You’ll be powering the powerhouses of your cells for better health now and in the future.

Sources:

Pomegranate fueling cancer therapy – EurekAlert!

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That’s because, by its very nature, cancer is capable of evading the body’s natural protective mechanisms, growing and spreading out of control.

And while cancer treatment took a big step forward with the introduction of chemotherapy, no one can mistake the option for anything but what it is — toxic.

In recent years, the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has once again given cancer patients everywhere new hope. Since this type of immunotherapy works to kickstart the patient’s immune system, it puts their body in a better position to kill cancer cells.

However, for the majority of patients, the hope these ICI treatments have provided has faded away with time. That’s because only a fraction of cancer patients receiving ICI experience long-lasting results.

Now thanks to researchers from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, new hope is once again on the horizon and it’s all contained in a Brazilian berry that’s already well-known for preventing weight gain and reducing diabetes risk.

Prebiotics, your gut microbiome and cancer

Your microbiome is the collection of the millions of both good and bad bacteria that live in your gut. Provide your microbiome with more of the good stuff, including probiotics that repopulate it and prebiotics that feed the good bacteria and your health is better.

But let your microbiome deteriorate and you could be setting yourself up for more than two dozen diseases.

This is one of the principal reasons that researchers have begun to focus on supplements that include prebiotics in cancer research.

And those Montreal researchers were no exception.

You see, that Brazilian berry — known as camu-camu — contains a potent prebiotic called castalagin.

The theory was that since prebiotics improve the health of the microbiome, the fruit could have a positive role to play in immunotherapy.

And it turns out that they were right.

“To evaluate the beneficial effects of castalagin, we orally administered the prebiotic to mice that had received a fecal transplant from patients resistant to ICI,” said Bertrand Routy, a professor in Université de Montréal’s Department of Medicine. “We found that castalagin binds to a beneficial intestinal bacteria, Ruminococcus bromii, and promotes an anti-cancer response.”

It’s a finding they say points to the possibility that camu-camu could be used to improve immunotherapy response in ICI treatments, even for cancers that are generally resistant to this type of treatment.

In fact, the results were so promising that the discovery will soon be tested in patients thanks to the launch of the first clinical trial combining the camu-camu berry and ICIs in patients with lung cancer or melanoma.

But there’s another cancer-fighting secret camu-camu holds — and that’s vitamin C. In 1971, mainstream medicine cast aside Nobel Prize-winning chemist Linus Pauling’s proof that vitamin C kills cancer cells. However, many studies today are still finding that vitamin C causes cancer cells to die.

Easy to find and widely used

In the meantime, if you’re wondering about taking camu-camu yourself, there’s good news.

It’s easy to find in supplement form — both capsule and powder.

And as my colleague, Jenny Smiechowski, points out, many people already use it to fight fatigue, reduce stress and support the immune system.

So it’s not only readily available, it’s safe.

Sources:Cancer treatment: A berry from Brazil helps out — ScienceDaily

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That’s because studies show that breast cancer patients who exercise have less of those nasty side effects after treatments and improved quality of life, including a better mood, less fatigue, and overall health and wellbeing.

And according to a new study, exercise could also help kill cancer cells, slow tumor growth, and improve patient outcome, especially when being treated with immunotherapy drugs.

Stimulating your natural immunity

The research, by a team of scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, used tumors in mouse models of human breast cancer to prove that regular aerobic exercise resulted in slower tumor growth and increased anti-tumor response, compared to sedentary mice.

Here’s how exercise battles breast cancer:

#1 – It increases and activates cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

The team found that the beneficial effects of exercise in combatting breast cancer were dependent on cytotoxic T lymphocytes, specifically CD8+ T cells. In fact, when the researchers depleted these cells in mice, tumor growth increased even in the face of exercise.

The research showed that exercise training brings these immune cells which are capable of killing cancer into the tumors and activates them.

“Humans whose tumors have higher levels of CD8+ T cells tend to have a better prognosis, respond better to treatment, and have reduced risk of cancer recurrence compared with patients whose tumors have lower levels of the immune cells, effects that were echoed by a reduced incidence of metastasis, or spread, of the cancers in mice that exercised,” said study author Rakesh K. Jain, Ph.D., director of the Steele Labs at MGH and Andrew Werk Cook Professor of Radiation Oncology at HMS.

#2 – It boosts chemokines

The researchers discovered that levels of two chemokines (known as CXCL9 and CXCL11), which are responsible for the recruitment of those CD8+ T cells that kill off cancer were increased in mice that exercised.

#3 – It enhances response to immune checkpoint blockade

CD8+ T cells are also essential for the success of drugs known as immune checkpoint inhibitors that have revolutionized therapy for many types of cancer. Sadly, these drugs have experienced only limited success in breast cancer.

But, that could all change with exercise…

The study showed that exercise increased the response to immune checkpoint blockade, which can allow increased action of these drugs, compared to sedentary mice.

The overall results were:

1. a rewiring of tumor immunity
2. increased recruitment and activation of cancer-killing immune cells
3. a “profound reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment
4. slower tumor growth
5. and better outcomes!

That’s a lot of benefits from simply doing something that’s good for you anyway!

How much is enough?

So you’re probably wondering how much exercise you should get and what kind…

And luckily, the researchers answered that too.

They used daily sessions of a moderate-to-vigorous intensity, aerobic exercise that lasted 30-45 minutes per session.

For reference, moderate-intensity exercise involves working out at 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate or hard enough that you can talk, but not sing.

This would include activities like:

• Brisk walking
• Using an elliptical machine
• Light jogging or swimming
• Gardening
• Heavy housework, such as vacuuming

On the other hand, vigorous-intensity exercise occurs at a heart rate of 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. And when you try to talk, you can only get out a few words at a time – not complete sentences.

Vigorous-intensity activities are:

• Jogging
• Running
• Lap swimming
• Dancing
• Martial arts
• Hiking uphill

So if you’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer, it seems that exercise could be your key to battling back the tumors, slowing the growth and coming out on top. Talk to your doctor about what level of activity is best for you.

Sources:

Target Heart Rate and Estimated Maximum Heart Rate — CDC

American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults — American Heart Association

Exercise and Breast Cancer — Johns Hopkins Medicine

Exercise benefit in breast cancer linked to improved immune responses — EurekAlert!

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Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have done some important work, proving that certain types of immune cells can be trained to go after malignant tumors.

By using a natural substance that’s already known to prevent cancer, these scientists have shown that we can improve the “memory” of our immune cells so that they can fight cancer.

But before we get into that, it’s essential to understand the two types of immunity in your body and how they differ.

Innate vs. adaptive immunity

Innate and adaptive immunity are the two main types of immunity operating in your body.

Innate immunity, as the name implies, is present at birth. It is a kind of global, non-specific ability to search out and eliminate a broad range of pathogens.

What innate immunity doesn’t do is make fine distinctions between pathogens. For example, it doesn’t treat a cancerous cell any differently than it would treat a virus or a chemical toxin.

Innate immunity is fast-acting. It’s our first line of defense. It uses both physical and chemical barriers to defend us. These include phagocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, mast cells and plasma protein that lives in the blood.

Innate immune cells also have no memory. The battle starts from scratch if you’re exposed to the same pathogen again.

In contrast, adaptive immunity only develops after exposure to a pathogen, and adaptive immune cells (B cells and T cells) can create an immunological memory of a particular pathogen. It’s these cells that form the basis of vaccines.

Adaptive immunity is highly potent and specific. However, it is slow-moving. We’re talking as much as a week or two before their full potency is available to the body.

The immune system can be trained

This brings us to the critical questions that the University of Pennsylvania study sought to answer:

• Is there a way to “train” fast-acting innate immune cells to respond more specifically, for example, to help treat cancer?
• Can innate immune cells develop any sort of specific immunological memory?

Before the present study, the University of Pennsylvania team had already found that exposure to beta-glucans, a soluble fiber found in foods like oatmeal, mushrooms, barley and seaweed, could improve immune recovery after chemotherapy in a mouse model.

They also found that this “memory” was held within the bone marrow, in stem cells that later developed into macrophages and other cells that are active in the adaptive immune system.

But the researchers weren’t satisfied to stop there.

“The fact that β-glucan helps you fight tumors doesn’t necessarily mean it was through trained immunity,” said George Hajishengallis of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, who co-led the study.

To confirm that link, the researchers took neutrophils (innate immune cells) from mice exposed to beta-glucan and transferred them to mice that had not received beta-glucan. At the same time, they injected cells that grow into melanoma tumors.

Tumor growth was significantly slower in the mice who received the transplanted cells.

Just to be sure, the researchers performed bone marrow transplants, transferring bone marrow cells from “trained “mice into mice that had lost much of their own bone marrow.

The recipients fought tumors much more effectively than mice that received “untrained” bone marrow.

“This is innate immune memory at work,” said Triantafyllos Chavakis, a long-term collaborator of Hajishengallis and co-senior author of the study.

How to get immune system insurance and more

Eating foods with beta-glucans can provide you with some good immune system insurance.

Hopefully, you’ll never have to put the cancer-fighting power of beta-glucans to the test. But this fiber can do so much more for your health!

Beta glucans can also:

• Boost heart health
• Regulate blood sugar levels
• Improve cholesterol levels
• Control blood pressure

This robust fiber is readily available in oatmeal, barley, dates and mushrooms.

Mushrooms have a strong indication for slowing prostate cancer and keeping it from worsening.

You can take beta-glucan supplements if you’re not a fan of any of these foods.

Sources:

Priming the immune system to attack cancer — Eureka Alert

Difference Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity — differencebetween.com

Beta Glucan and Cancer — beatcancer.org

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Physical activity is one of the best things people can do to improve their overall health and can include a variety of activities such as walking, dancing, biking, swimming or simple household chores.

But in the past, people treated for a chronic disease such as cancer were often told by their doctors to rest and reduce their overall physical activity. This advice makes sense if the activity results in pain, shortness of breath, increased heart rate and fatigue. However, more recent research offers promising news and a solid reason to continue exercising following a cancer diagnosis…

Exercise, our immune system and cancer growth

Previous research has indicated that exercise may help improve cancer prognosis, but experts haven’t been able to pinpoint the exact reason why. One plausible theory was that exercise activates the immune system to support the body’s ability to prevent and inhibit the growth of cancer.

And that’s what researchers at the Karolinska Institutet set out to find, by examining how the immune system’s cytotoxic T cells — your body’s natural cancer-fighting cells — respond to exercise.

When they compared two groups of mice, one trained to exercise on a wheel, they saw cancer growth slow and mortality decrease in that group.

Next, they suppressed the T cell activity in both sets of mice and as expected, they saw the protective benefits of exercise halt — which confirmed the importance of the T cell involvement.

To examine how exercise impacted cancer growth they isolated T cells, blood and tissue samples. Their research initially revealed that exercise alters the production of metabolites and molecules inhibiting cancer growth while activating cancer-fighting immune cells in mice.

In other words, physical activity changes the metabolism of the immune system’s cytotoxic T cells and thereby improves their ability to attack cancer cells. 

And guess what? These same researchers then examined these changes in human study participants during exercise — and the results were similar!

“Our research shows that exercise affects the production of several molecules and metabolites that activate cancer-fighting immune cells and thereby inhibit cancer growth,” says Helene Rundqvist, senior researcher at the Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet and the study’s first author. “We hope these results may contribute to a deeper understanding of how our lifestyle impacts our immune system and inform the development of new immunotherapies against cancer.”

Physical activity and lower cancer risk

Hopefully, this new research into exercise as treatment following a cancer diagnosis will continue to give hope to cancer patients all over the world.

But in addition, there is strong clinical research linking higher levels of physical activity to lower risk of several types of cancer. That means regular exercise may help you avoid cancer in the first place, especially these types:

• Bladder Cancer

In 2014, the results of 11 studies concluded the risk of bladder cancer was 15 percent lower for individuals who had the highest amount of physical activity than those with the lowest level.

• Endometrial cancer

In a meta-analysis of 33 studies, physically active women had a 20 percent lower risk of endometrial cancer than women with lower levels of physical activity. Obesity is a risk factor for endometrial cancer.

• Colon Cancer

In 2016, the results of 126 studies concluded a 19 percent lower risk of colon cancer was found among individuals with the highest level of physical activity than those who were least physically active.

• Breast Cancer

A meta-analysis of 38 cohort studies in 2016 concluded that physically active women had a 12-21 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those who were least physically active.

Benefits of regular exercise during cancer treatment

Today, studies continue to show that exercise is not only safe during cancer treatment but can improve the quality of life for patients. Cancer teams encourage their patients to be physically active as much as possible before, during, and after treatment which boosts their immune system.

Exercise during cancer treatment can help:

• Lessen symptoms of tiredness
• Reduce risk of anxiety and depression
• Improve circulation to the legs and lower risk of blood clots
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Improve balance and lower risk of falls
• Maintain and improve physical abilities
• Lesson risk of osteoporosis
• Improve self-esteem and increased pride
• Reduce of nausea
• Weight control

Sources:

Physical Activity in cancer prevention and survival: A systematic review  —  National Library of Medicine

Study shows how exercise stalls cancer growth through the immune system — EurekaAlert!

The association between physical activity and bladder cancer: systematic review — National Library of Medicine

A systematic review and meta-analysis of physical activity and endometrial cancer risk — National Library of Medicine

Leisure time physical activity and cancer risk: evaluation of the WHO’s recommendation based on 126 high-quality epidemiological studies — National Library of Medicine

Physical activity, hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis of prospective — National Library of Medicine

Physical Activity and the Cancer Patient — American Cancer Society

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