Exercise may inhibit breast cancer growth
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- Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Even a single session of resistance training or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) increases levels of certain proteins that can inhibit breast cancer cell growth, potentially contributing to a lower risk of recurrence, according to an analysis published July 3, 2025, by Breast Cancer Research and Treatment.
The study included 32 breast cancer survivors (average age 59). Researchers assigned half to do a 45-minute session of resistance training and half to do 45 minutes of HIIT, which alternates short bursts of intense exercise with periods of lower-intensity movement. Blood samples were taken before exercise, immediately after, and 30 minutes later. In those samples, researchers measured levels of four signaling proteins called myokines that are thought to have anticancer effects. They also applied the blood samples to breast cancer cells in lab dishes.
After both types of exercise, levels of three myokines rose significantly compared to pre-exercise blood samples, and levels of one myokine stayed higher even 30 minutes after exercise in both groups. When applied to cancer cells in lab dishes, the post-exercise blood reduced cancer cell growth between 19% and 29% more compared to pre-exercise blood samples in both groups. The findings highlight the potential importance of exercise’s promising anticancer effects, the researchers said.
Image: © Thomas Barwick/Getty Images
About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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