Pancreatic Cancer And Exercise

A healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, limited alcohol and no smoking can lower the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Although several medical studies are inconclusive on the benefits of exercise to prevent this disease, the National Institutes of Health recommends healthy lifestyle choices including regular, moderate-intensity exercise to minimize the risk of developing pancreatic cancer.

Strenuous Exercise

Strenuous physical exercise may activate cellular stress responses and produce radical oxygen species, or ROS, that damage DNA and lead to cellular mutations and cancer, according to an article in the July 2011 issue of the “Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.” Researchers hypothesized that cellular defense mechanisms could become overwhelmed by the production of ROS during exhaustive exercise and increase the likelihood of developing several malignancies, such as pancreatic cancer. Although the molecular interactions of aerobic exercise and cancer development are poorly understood, the authors claim that light to moderate exercise allows the body to initiate appropriate defense mechanisms to thwart the damage caused by ROS. The article highlights the influence of exercise duration, frequency and energy expenditure on the risk of developing cancer.

BMI and Exercise

Researchers at the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, Japan, investigated the relationship between body mass index, or BMI, a ratio of height to weight, and physical exercise on the risks of developing pancreatic cancer. The researchers followed more than 99,000 participants over 11 years and identified 224 cases of pancreatic cancer: 128 in men and 96 in women. The study found that BMI was inversely related to the risk of pancreatic cancer in men but not women. Although counter-intuitive, the study found that men with a greater BMI were less likely to develop the disease, and there was no association between exercise and the development of pancreatic cancer in men or women.

Medical Literature Review

A review article appearing in the June 2010 issue of the “International Journal of Cancer” investigated the correlation between physical exercise and the risk of pancreatic cancer. The authors searched six electronic medical databases and identified 28 studies on this relationship. The consensus of the studies indicated a reduction in pancreatic cancer with increased levels of physical activity. Although not all of the studies were in agreement, the authors found that moderate exercise offered more protection against pancreatic cancer than vigorous activities.

Predicting Pancreatic Cancer Risk

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, Maryland, designed a scale to predict the risk of pancreatic cancer based on five lifestyle factors: smoking, alcohol use, dietary patterns, BMI and regular physical exercise. The grading system was simple – participants received one point for healthy lifestyle choices and no points for unhealthy choices. The grading scale ranged from zero, which indicated a nonsmoker, nondrinker, who ate healthy meals, was not overweight and exercised regularly, to five, which indicated a person who was overweight, had a poor diet and bad habits and did not exercise. Researchers collected data from more than 450,000 individuals, aged 50 to 71, through a questionnaire and identified 1,057 cases of pancreatic cancer. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that a score of five was associated with a 58 percent reduction in pancreatic cancer risk.

Pancreatic Cancer and Exercise

Strenuous Exercise

BMI and Exercise

Medical Literature Review

Predicting Pancreatic Cancer Risk

References

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