Sport und Prävention

Modern western lifestyle is characterized by a low level of physical activity. To reduce risk of breast and colorectal cancer as well as other chronic diseases the WHO recommends an increase in physical activity starting in children and adolescents. Physical activity not only reduces breast cancer incidence and the rate of relapse by approx. 25%, it also reduces side effects of antineoplastic chemotherapeutic agents and fatigue in breast cancer survivors. At the molecular level, physical activity modulates neoangiogenesis and inflammatory processes. However, not only lack of exercise but also junk food and obesity may lead to an increased risk of breast cancer this way. Moreover, evidence suggests that even in women with a genetic predisposition physical activity and normal body weight might result in a reduction of cancer risk. The LIBRE study is the first prospective-randomized lifestyle intervention study for carriers of a pathogenic mutation in the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2. Targeted prevention and additional treatment choices for hereditary and sporadic breast cancer are the main future objectives of the international research which is described in this work.