gms | German Medical Science

7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Annual Assembly of the German and the Austrian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Austrian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

26.-29.10.2011, Salzburg, Austria

Breast cancer and exercise

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author Ioannis Mitsakis - 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hippokratio General Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Menelaos Mitsakis - General Hospital-Health Center, Lemnos, Greece
  • Charikleia Mitsaki - Chirurgical Department, General Hospital, Serres, Greece
  • Christos Lyrtzis - Department of Orthopaedics, General Hospital, Kilkis, Greece
  • Kyriaki Sianou - Leadership and Management in Health Department, Kingston University, London, United Kingdom
  • presenting/speaker Aikaterini Anastasiou - Department of Physiotherapy, Alexander Technological Educational Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Aristotelis Loufopoulos - 2nd Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hippokratio General Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece

7th EFSMA – European Congress of Sports Medicine, 3rd Central European Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Salzburg, 26.-29.10.2011. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2011. Doc11esm117

doi: 10.3205/11esm117, urn:nbn:de:0183-11esm1173

Published: October 24, 2011

© 2011 Mitsakis et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

Text

Objective: The aim of this study was to define the correlation between breast cancer and physical exercise and the mechanism for the prevention of breast cancer by physical exercise.

Material/Methods: The material emanates from a review of the international bibliography and from our own study in our Laboratory in Thessaloniki, Hellas.

Results: Sufficient evidence has accumulated to warrant an analysis of the relationship between exercise and breast cancer. Recent epidemiological studies confirm an inverse relationship between exercise and breast cancer, with stronger associations appearing for occupational activity than for leisure time or nonoccupational activity. Several plausible hypothesized biological mechanisms exist for the association between physical activity and breast cancer, including changes in endogenous sexual and metabolic hormone levels and growth factors, decreased obesity and central adiposity and possibly changes in immune function. Central adiposity has been particularly implicated in promoting metabolic conditions amenable to carcinogenesis. Exercising four or more hours a week may decrease hormone levels and help lower breast cancer risk.

Conclusion: The mechanisms are not well defined; several lines of evidence support the inclusion of low-to-moderate exercise as a preventive strategy for breast cancer.


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