Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40112254›Full record

SynthesisJournal of the National Cancer Institute2025

Effects of exercise on inflammation in female survivors of nonmetastatic breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Francesco Bettariga, Dennis R Taaffe, Anita Borsati, Alice Avancini, Sara Pilotto, Stefano G Lazzarini, Pedro Lopez, Luca Maestroni, Umberto Crainich, John P Campbell and 3 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Francesco BettarigaExercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4977-5494
Dennis R TaaffeExercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6381-1597
Anita BorsatiBiomedical, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Department of Medicine, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6898-091X
Alice AvanciniDepartment of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2439-4799
Sara PilottoSection of Innovation Biomedicine-Oncology Area, Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine (DIMI), University of Verona and University and Hospital Trust (AOUI) of Verona, Verona, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2229-4874
Stefano G LazzariniDepartment of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9576-2459
Pedro LopezPleural Medicine Unit, Institute for Respiratory Health, Perth, WA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3897-667X
Luca MaestroniLondon Sport Institute, School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-8342-1825
Umberto CrainichLondon Sport Institute, School of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London, United Kingdom.ORCID 0009-0001-1097-2183
John P CampbellExercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-9989-6158
Timothy D ClayExercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1953-2694
Daniel A GalvãoExercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8209-2281
Robert U NewtonExercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-0302-6129

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite advances in breast cancer treatment, recurrence remains common and contributes to higher mortality risk. Among the potential mechanisms, inflammation plays a key role in recurrence by promoting tumor progression. Exercise provides a wide array of health benefits and may reduce inflammation, potentially reducing mortality risk. However, the effects of exercise, including mode (ie, resistance training [RT], aerobic training [AT], and combined RT and AT) and program duration, on inflammatory biomarkers in breast cancer survivors remain to be elucidated.

methodsA systematic search was undertaken in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and CENTRAL in August 2024. Randomized controlled trials examining the effects of exercise on interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were included. A random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to quantify the magnitude of change.

resultsTwenty-two studies were included (n = 968). Exercise induced small to large statistically significant reductions in IL-6 (standardized mean difference [SMD] = -0.85; 95% CI = -1.68 to -0.02; P = .05) and TNF-α (SMD = -0.40; 95% CI = -0.81 to 0.01; P = .05) and a trend for a decrease in CRP. When stratifying by exercise mode, trends toward reduction in IL-6 and TNF-α were observed for combined exercise, while changes were not generally affected by exercise program duration.

conclusionExercise, especially combined RT and AT, can reduce pro-inflammatory biomarkers, and may be a suitable strategy to reduce inflammation in breast cancer survivors. However, further research is needed to investigate the effects of exercise mode and program duration on markers of inflammation in this survivor group.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCancer SurvivorsExerciseInflammationC-Reactive ProteinFemaleHumansInterleukin-6Randomized Controlled Trials as TopicResistance TrainingTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaC-Reactive ProteinInterleukin-6Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Identifiers

PMID40112254
PMCPMC12505137

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.