2023-11-19 22:48:36
In patients with Lynch syndrome, who are genetically predisposed to developing colon cancer at a young age, intense exercise can reduce the risk of cancer.
Our life is the result of the interaction between the genes bequeathed by our parents (genetics) and all the modifications that our lifestyle causes these genes to undergo (epigenetics).
Everything is therefore not decided at birth: for example, one can be born with a gene that predisposes to obesity or even to being affected by cancer, but with rare exceptions (pediatric cancers or certain serious genetic diseases ), these genes are only one of the aspects involved in the development of these diseases, a genetic predisposition which is very real, but which nevertheless remains strongly influenced by a host of external factors, in particular by our lifestyle habits.
We are what we make of our genes, by our way of life.
Syndrome de Lynch
Lynch syndrome (hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer [HNPCC]) is a good example of a genetic predisposition that increases the risk of cancer. This syndrome dramatically increases the risk of colorectal cancer (60% lifetime risk of developing the disease) due to mutations that interfere with DNA repair and thus promote the appearance of abnormal cells that can become cancerous. .
Lynch syndrome is among the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, affecting approximately one in 300 people, and is also associated with an increased risk of tumors of the endometrium, stomach, urinary tract, pancreas, the gallbladder and the brain.
Mitigate risk
Exercise represents a very interesting approach to mitigating the risk of cancer that threatens people with Lynch syndrome.
On the one hand, several studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with a significant reduction (20%) in several types of cancer, including colorectal cancer1.
On the other hand, a retrospective analysis of patients with Lynch syndrome revealed that those who were the most active (approximately one hour of walking per day) had an approximately 30% reduced risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who were sedentary2.
A recent study suggests that this protective effect may be linked to the anti-inflammatory action and improved immune response of exercise3.
In this study, researchers recruited volunteers diagnosed with Lynch syndrome, but who did not have diagnosed colorectal cancer. They separated them into two groups, a control group without physical activity and an intervention group, where the participants were subjected to regular training on a stationary bike for a year.
Biochemical analysis of blood samples taken during the procedure indicates that exercise causes a significant decrease in levels of prostaglandin E2, an inflammatory molecule that plays a very important role in the development of colorectal cancer.
They also noted that patients subjected to the exercise program had higher numbers of CD8+ T lymphocytes and NK (natural killer) cells in their blood, two types of immune cells involved in the recognition and elimination of cancer cells. .
These results therefore suggest that exercise positively influences the innate and adaptive immune systems and that this modulation of immunity plays a key role in its anticancer effects.
This mechanism is conserved in individuals who are genetically predisposed to colorectal cancer, providing these individuals with the opportunity to adopt an active lifestyle to overcome bad genes.
Further proof that our lifestyle is truly decisive for our health and that the daily choices we make (diet, exercise, sleep, regulation of our body weight) play a determining role in our health, even with the worst predispositions. genetics for a disease as serious as cancer.
We are not the helpless victim of the action of our genes, as many like to think.
♦ 1. McTiernan A et coll. Physical activity in cancer prevention and survival: a systematic review. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2019 ; 51:1252-1261.
♦ 2. Dashti SG et coll. Physical activity and the risk of colorectal cancer in Lynch syndrome. Int. J. Cancer 2018 ; 143:2250-2260.
♦ 3. Deng N et coll. Exercise training reduces the inflammatory response and promotes intestinal mucosa-associated immunity in Lynch syndrome. Clin. Cancer Res.published September 19, 2023.
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