Newcastle Uni team show how exercise can help stop bowel cancer

TO newcastle research team have shown exactly why exercise helps prevent and treat colon cancer. And it’s not just about someone’s weight.

University of Newcastle Scientists have shown a connection between exercise and the production of a specific protein in the bloodstream, and this protein, called IL6, helps repair DNA in damaged cells. This helps prevent the development of bowel cancer and may even help limit the growth of a tumor if cancer does occur.

Dr. Sam Orange, a former Rugby League star turned professor of exercise physiology, specializes in the connections between physical exercise and cancer prevention. He has played a key role in a team that has just published a study in the International Journal of Cancer that highlights precisely how physical activity fights cancer.

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Dr Orange said ChronicleLive : “Evidence shows that physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers, one of which is bowel cancer, but we don’t really know why. The prevailing thought has been how exercise helps maintain a healthy weight.” healthy.

“But it’s becoming increasingly clear that physical activity reduces cancer risk regardless of weight, and we were really interested in why. Every time you exercise, there’s a catalog of changes in hormone levels and blood glucose levels. proteins in their blood: we wanted to see how these things alter the growth of the cancer cells themselves.

The study involved 16 men between the ages of 50 and 80, each of whom had “lifestyle risk factors” for bowel cancer, such as being overweight or physically inactive, and had their blood tested before and after a session. 30 minutes on a stationary bike. Blood samples after exercise showed high levels of IL6, and these samples were then added to bowel cancer cells in a laboratory.

The scientists found that samples with high amounts of protein slowed the growth of cancer cells. Similarly, they reduced the extent of DNA damage in cells, suggesting that physical activity can repair cells to create a genetically stable cell type.

“It’s important to keep in mind that exercise has such a pervasive effect on our bodies, so it’s very likely that there are more things involved,” added Dr. Orange. “But we have been able to establish the link between IL6 and cancer prevention.

“Understanding the process here may help develop new practical ways to prevent cancer. It helps us better understand how lifestyle choices, such as exercise, reduce cancer risk. We can dig deeper into what might be the best types of exercise for this, but also potentially develop new drugs that could mimic the effects of exercise.

“There’s also a really positive public health message: Weight is a problem for a fairly large proportion of the population, and it’s not something that’s always in our control. But what this study shows is that every time you exercise you’re changing the chemical composition in the bloodstream. So every time you exercise [regardless of your weight] you are contributing to a reduction in your risk of cancer. “

Dr Adam Odell, Senior Lecturer in Biosciences at York St John University, also worked on the study. Others involved included Dr. Alastair Jordan and Dr. Owen Kavanagh. Dr. Odell added: “Most importantly, it is not just the risk of bowel cancer that can be reduced by leading a more active lifestyle. There are clear links between higher levels of exercise and a lower risk of develop other types of cancer, such as breast and endometrial cancer.

“By developing a mechanism through which regular physical activity may produce anticancer effects, our study provides further support for ongoing national and global efforts to increase exercise participation.”