The Role of Physical Activity in Breast Cancer Prevention

Extended Abstract published in the Journal of Evolution and Health

Edwards, D. (2019). The Role of Physical Activity in Breast Cancer Prevention. Journal of Evolution and Health: A joint publication of the Ancestral Health Society and the Society for Evolutionary Medicine and Health, 4(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.15310/J34146744 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6355874x

“Breast cancer is one of the world's most common diseases, matching lung cancer as the world's most common cancer, both contributing 12.3 per cent of the total number of new cases diagnosed in 2018 according to the World Cancer Research Fund.”

Movement is medicine. Such an honour to have my paper on exercise and breast cancer prevention published in the Journal of Evolution and Health. “The Role of Physical Activity in Breast Cancer Prevention.”

Cancer is primarily a disorder caused by DNA mutations and epigenetic changes that make an abnormal cell multiply uncontrollably with the potential to invade other parts of the body, rather than the natural immune system response, which leads to cell death.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer globally - what can we do to help prevent it? Research informs us that there can be up to 80% risk reduction in very active post-menopausal women and 25% reduction in average lifetime risk for active vs inactive women. So a powerful intervention but intensity and volume matters:

Intensity: HIIT (high-intensity interval training) has been shown to increase natural killer cell counts (immune cells that can seek out and destroy the early signs of cancer) than moderate levels of physical activity.

Volume: Increasing levels of strenuous physical activity seems to confer the greatest benefits for women during their reproductive years.

What are the some of the other main risk factors we need to consider for breast cancer?

How can physical activity be helpful to keep cancer in remission for those who have had or who are undergoing treatment?

You can access and download my research paper at primalplay.com/bcp and please share with anyone you feel may find it useful.
You can access the research article for FREE in the Journal of Evolution and Health.