CoBrCa 2016 | The importance of physical exercise to contribute to a lower risk of relapse in breast cancer

Antonio Llombart, MD, PhD, of the University Hospital Arnau de Vilanova, Valencia, Spain, discusses physical exercise to help lower the risk of relapse in breast cancer patients at the 2016 World Congress on Controversies in Breast Cancer (CoBrCa) in Barcelona, Spain. As well as specific treatments such as endocrine therapy, targeted agent therapy and chemotherapy, for patients who are suffering from breast cancer, there are other aspects which are almost as important to maintain quality of life but also have impact on the tumor. One of the facts that has been observed in retrospective and prospective studies is that physical activity plays a major role. He explains that this is not related to being in better health. Something happens on a biological level such as a reduction in the estrogen receptors or estrogen levels, that make those patients at a lower risk of relapse than patients who do not do regular physical exercise.