Can Exercise Help Slow Breast Cancer Cell Growth? Australian Scientists Reveal Landmark Findings

Perth, Australia: A research team led by Francesco Bettariga, PhD candidate in Exercise Oncology at Edith Cowan University (ECU), with prominent oversight from internationally recognized professors Dr. Daniel A. Galvão and Dr. Robert U. Newton, published breakthrough findings in July 2025.¹ Their peer-reviewed study appeared in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment and positions ECU as a leader in exercise oncology research.

What Did the Study Reveal?

The 2025 study involved 32 women with a history of breast cancer. Each participant completed a single 45-minute session of either resistance training (RT) or high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Immediately after exercise, blood samples showed increased concentrations of muscle-derived myokines specifically IL-6, decorin, and SPARC. When these blood samples were tested on triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro, the cancer cell growth rate dropped by up to 30%. IL-6 levels remained elevated for at least 30 minutes following exercise, indicating extended anti-cancer activity.^1,5

Where and When Did the Research Happen?

The research took place in Perth, Australia, at Edith Cowan University, throughout 2025. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after, and 30 minutes post-exercise to analyze real-time biochemical impacts on cancer cell activity.^1,5

Why Does Exercise Affect Breast Cancer Cells?

Muscle-generated myokines regulate cellular growth, suppress inflammation, and directly halt tumor development. This is particularly relevant for aggressive, triple-negative breast cancers which lack hormone receptors and often resist traditional therapies. The study demonstrated that even one session of vigorous exercise triggers changes in human blood that suppress these resilient cancer cells.^1,3,4

How Can These Results Benefit Cancer Care?

Both resistance training and HIIT proved effective at boosting protective myokine levels and inhibiting breast cancer cell growth. Integrating personalized and professionally supervised exercise routines into cancer aftercare could provide breast cancer survivors with a potent, accessible tool to reduce recurrence risk. However, all patients should consult their healthcare team before beginning any new exercise regimen.^1,7,8

Why Is This Discovery Important Globally?

Breast cancer remains the most diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, creating an urgent need for effective prevention and survivorship strategies. With millions of annual cancer deaths, insights from the ECU study open the door to affordable, proactive approaches that can be implemented alongside medical treatment.^5,6,8 Professor Galvão and the research team advocate for further long-term studies to validate the preventive powers of consistent, targeted exercise in lowering cancer recurrence and improving survivor quality of life.^1,4

References:

1. Bettariga, Francesco, David R. Taaffe, Cássia C. Garcia, T. D. Clay, Marco De Santi, G. Baldelli, S. Adhikari, E. S. Gray, Daniel A. Galvão, and Robert U. Newton. "A single bout of resistance or high-intensity interval training increases anti-cancer myokines and suppresses cancer cell growth in vitro in survivors of breast cancer." Breast Cancer Research and Treatment 213, no. 1 (2025): 171–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-025-07772-w.

2. García-Chávez, C. G., et al. "The influence of physical training on breast cancer." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 25, no. 21 (2024): 11379. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms252111379.

3. Kim, J. S., et al. "Myokines derived from contracting skeletal muscle suppress aggressiveness of breast cancer." Frontiers in Physiology 13 (2022): 1033585. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.1033585.

4. Li, J., et al. "The effect of exercise-induced myokine on cancer progression." Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Reviews on Cancer 1877, no. 5 (2022): 188765. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbcan.2022.188765.

5. World Health Organization. "Cancer fact sheet." World Health Organization, 2018. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer.

6. Galvão, Daniel A., and Robert U. Newton. "Review of exercise intervention studies in cancer patients." Journal of Clinical Oncology 23, no. 4 (2005): 899–909. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2005.06.139.

7. National Cancer Institute. "Exercise and cancer prevention." National Institutes of Health, 2025. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/obesity/exercise-fact-sheet.

8. American Cancer Society. "Physical activity and the person with cancer." American Cancer Society, 2025. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/survivor-care/physical-activity.

   (Rh/Eth/VK)