The DOI matches its Crossref record; 112 of the 112 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Molecular Mechanisms Linking Exercise to Cancer Prevention and Treatment
Open accessAbstract
The benefits of exercise training for cancer patients are becoming increasingly evident. Physical exercise has been shown to reduce cancer incidence and inhibit tumor growth. Here we provide the status of the current molecular understanding of the effect of exercise on cancer. We propose that exercise has a role in controlling cancer progression through a direct effect on tumor-intrinsic factors, interplay with whole-body exercise effects, alleviation of cancer-related adverse events, and improvement of anti-cancer treatment efficacy. These findings have wide-ranging societal implications, as this understanding may lead to changes in cancer treatment strategies.
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“In addition, myokines with anticancer effects have been recognized (41, 42).”
From Muscle–Organ Crosstalk: The Emerging Roles of Myokines (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
In the citing paper
“Therefore, the anti-inflammatory effects of physical training may mediate some of the protective effects of exercise on cancer development (41).”
From Muscle–Organ Crosstalk: The Emerging Roles of Myokines (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
In the citing paper
“Epidemiological studies suggest that physical activity in leisure time reduces the risk of at least 13 different cancer types (41, 42, 222, 223).”
From Muscle–Organ Crosstalk: The Emerging Roles of Myokines (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
In the citing paper
“A few mechanistic studies have demonstrated a potential role of other myokines, including Oncostatin M, irisin, and SPARC in the suppression of breast and colon cancer growth (41, 224-227).”
From Muscle–Organ Crosstalk: The Emerging Roles of Myokines (2020) · cites this paper as [41]
Citations
Cites
The Biology of Cancer: Metabolic Reprogramming Fuels Cell Growth and Proliferation
DeBerardinis, R. J., Lum, J. J., Hatzivassiliou, G., & Thompson, C. B. (2008) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2007.10.002 · Cited by 4,088
Exercise as medicine - evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases
Pedersen, B. K., & Saltin, B. (2015) · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports · doi:10.1111/sms.12581 · Cited by 3,514
Muscles, exercise and obesity: skeletal muscle as a secretory organ
Pedersen, B. K., & Febbraio, M. A. (2012) · Nature Reviews Endocrinology · doi:10.1038/nrendo.2012.49 · Cited by 2,909
American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors
Schmitz, K. H., Courneya, K. S., Matthews, C., Demark-Wahnefried, W., GALVÃO, D. A., Pinto, B. M., IRWIN, M. L., WOLIN, K. Y., SEGAL, R. J., LUCIA, A., et al. (2010) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0b013e3181e0c112 · Cited by 2,781
Muscle as an Endocrine Organ: Focus on Muscle-Derived Interleukin-6
Pedersen, B. K., & Febbraio, M. A. (2008) · Physiological Reviews · doi:10.1152/physrev.90100.2007 · Cited by 2,388
Immune checkpoint targeting in cancer therapy: toward combination strategies with curative potential
Sharma, P., & Allison, J. P. (2015) · Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.03.030 · Cited by 2,345
YAP/TAZ at the Roots of Cancer
Zanconato, F., Cordenonsi, M., & Piccolo, S. (2016) · Cancer Cell · doi:10.1016/j.ccell.2016.05.005 · Cited by 1,970
Inhibitory effect of tumor cell-derived lactic acid on human T cells
Fischer, K., Hoffmann, P., Voelkl, S., Meidenbauer, N., Ammer, J., Edinger, M., Gottfried, E., Schwarz, S., Rothe, G., Hoves, S., et al. (2007) · Blood · doi:10.1182/blood-2006-07-035972 · Cited by 1,946
Microenvironmental regulation of tumour angiogenesis
De Palma, M., Biziato, D., & Petrova, T. V. (2017) · Nature Reviews Cancer · doi:10.1038/nrc.2017.51 · Cited by 1,847 · cited 1×
“On the other hand, compromising blood flow to a tumor can also be a treatment strategy in itself, as illustrated by anti-angiogenic therapies that are being utilized in the treatment of, e.g., colorectal cancer (De Palma et al., 2017).”
BackgroundCooney, G. M., Dwan, K., Greig, C. A., Lawlor, D. A., Rimer, J., Waugh, F. R., McMurdo, M., & Mead, G. E. (2013) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd004366.pub6 · Cited by 1,834
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 201–300 of 602
Efremova, M. V., Bodea, S., Sigmund, F., Semkina, A. S., Westmeyer, G. G., & Abakumov, M. A. (2021) · Pharmaceutics · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics13030397 · Cited by 14
Kang, D., Fairey, A., Boulé, N. G., Field, C. J., & Courneya, K. S. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026438 · Cited by 15
Recent Innovations in Sports Physiology: Shaping the Future of Athletic Performance
Saadati, S. A. (2023) · Health Nexus · doi:10.61838/kman.hn.1.2.3 · Cited by 13
Junaid, M., Mukaddes, A. M. M., & Mahmud-Or-Rashid, M. (2024) · Heliyon · doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e34650 · Cited by 14
“Physical activity lowers cancer occurrence and the likelihood of reappearance and ensures longer, higher-quality lives for patients with disseminated illnesses, according to research by Hojman et al. [25].”
BackgroundLuo, Z., Zhu, J., Fang, Z., Xu, R., Wan, R., He, Y., Chen, Y., Chen, S., Wang, Q., Liu, Q., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2024.1440226 · Cited by 13
“Consistent physical activity has been demonstrated to be associated with reduced cancer incidence, possibly due to its role in enhancing antioxidative mechanisms and facilitating the rapid elimination of carcinogens (20 – 22).”
BackgroundLiu, W., An, J., Jiao, C., Zhi, L., Guo, J., & Sun, L. (2024) · European Journal of Surgical Oncology · doi:10.1016/j.ejso.2024.108647 · Cited by 13
Hjorth, M., Egan, C. L., Telles, G. D., Pál, M., Gallego‐Ortega, D., Fuller, O. K., McLennan, E. D., Gillis, R. D., Oh, T. G., Muscat, G. E. O., et al. (2024) · Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health Science · doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2024.100991 · Cited by 13
“8 The anti-tumorigenic effects of exercise are mediated by many different mechanisms, 9 including changes in the hormonal milieu, 10,11 decreased fat mass, 12 and immunological changes to the tumor microenvironment.”
Hong, J., & Park, J. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18062896 · Cited by 13
“Because it immunologically suppresses carcinomas, it is also helpful in treatment procedures [40] and, finally, improves one’s quality of life [41].”
BackgroundJafari, A., Sheikholeslami‐Vatani, D., Khosrobakhsh, F., & Khaledi, N. (2021) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.640237 · Cited by 13
Effect of aerobic exercise on acquired gefitinib resistance in lung adenocarcinoma
Yang, H., Liu, Y., & Kong, J. (2021) · Translational Oncology · doi:10.1016/j.tranon.2021.101204 · Cited by 13
Consensus of Chinese experts on exercise therapy for cancer patients
Cong, M., & HanPing, S. H. I. (2022) · Scientia Sinica Vitae · doi:10.1360/ssv-2022-0028 · Cited by 12
Echarri, A. A., Struszczak, L., Beresford, M. J., Campbell, J. P., Thompson, D., & Turner, J. E. (2023) · Frontiers in Sports and Active Living · doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1163182 · Cited by 14
Emerging Mechanisms of Physical Exercise Benefits in Adjuvant and Neoadjuvant Cancer Immunotherapy
Casciano, F., Caruso, L., Zauli, E., Gonelli, A., Zauli, G., & Vaccarezza, M. (2024) · Biomedicines · doi:10.3390/biomedicines12112528 · Cited by 13
“Preliminary evidence from human studies also suggests that exercise may decrease the levels of biomarkers associated with tumor proliferation [14–16].”
Physical Activity and Cancer Incidence and Mortality: Current Evidence and Biological Mechanisms
Kruk, J., Aboul-Enein, B. H., Gołębiewska, M. E., Duchnik, E., Czerniak, U., & Marchlewicz, M. (2025) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers17091410 · Cited by 13
“The commonly proposed mechanisms involve help for individuals to stay at a healthy weight and reduction of body fat [90,101]; the metabolic effects: enhancement of insulin sensitivity, lowering plasma insulin concentration, decrease in insulin-like growth factors (e.g., IGF-1), and increasing level…”
InfluentialSchenk, A., Esser, T., Knoop, A., Thevis, M., Herden, J., Heidenreich, A., Bloch, W., Joisten, N., & Zimmer, P. (2020) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo11010004 · Cited by 13
“A broad spectrum of potential underlying mechanisms has been investigated in rodents and cell culture studies, whereas evidence in humans is lacking [6,7].”
BackgroundImplication of Irisin in Different Types of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Vliora, M., Nintou, E., Karligiotou, E., Ioannou, L. G., Grillo, E., Mitola, S. M. F., & Flouris, A. D. (2022) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms23179971 · Cited by 12
“The effects of exercise in chronic inflammation, cytokine production and immune system can mediate the positive effects of exercise on cancer [61].”
BackgroundLong noncoding RNA SNHG15: A promising target in human cancers
Zhang, N., Lei, T., Xu, T., Zou, X., & Wang, Z. (2023) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1108564 · Cited by 12
Exercise May Affect Metabolism in Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment
Shahid, M., & Kim, J. (2020) · Metabolites · doi:10.3390/metabo10090377 · Cited by 14
“The role of PA and exercise in the whole process of cancer from prevention to post-treatment has been extensively studied [70,81].”
BackgroundWang, J., He, Y., Kim, A.-R., Lee, K.-H., & Choi, S. W. (2025) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2025.2486886 · Cited by 12
“Beyond pharmacological treatments, exercise has emerged as a promising complementary, non-pharmacological intervention for cancer treatment (Hojman et al., 2018; LaVoy et al., 2016; Yang et al., 2021).”
Exercise as a therapeutic intervention for long-lasting and chronic diseases
Febbraio, M. A., & Pedersen, B. K. (2026) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2026.02.017 · Cited by 12
Baker, C., Hunt, J., Piasecki, J., & Hough, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.998925 · Cited by 14
“It has been shown that cancer cells incubated with exercised serum form less tumors when inoculated into mice (Hojman et al., 2018), and 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running prior to tumor cell inoculation reduced tumor growth by 61%, attributed to the redistribution of NK cells after exercise causing an increased infil…”
BackgroundGenome-wide analysis of a cellular exercise model based on electrical pulse stimulation
Lee, B., Kim, S., Shin, Y. J., Son, Y. H., Yang, J. W., Lee, S.-M., Yang, Y. R., Lee, K., & Kwon, K. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-25758-2 · Cited by 12
Zeppa, S. D., Natalucci, V., Agostini, D., Vallorani, L., Amatori, S., Sisti, D., Rocchi, M., Pazienza, V., Perri, F., Villani, A., et al. (2023) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1225645 · Cited by 11
Prevention of liver cancer in the era of next-generation antivirals and obesity epidemic
Suzuki, H., Fujiwara, N., Singal, A. G., Baumert, T. F., Chung, R. T., Kawaguchi, T., & Hoshida, Y. (2025) · Hepatology · doi:10.1097/hep.0000000000001227 · Cited by 11
Exercise, Diet and Sleeping as Regenerative Medicine Adjuvants: Obesity and Ageing as Illustrations
Ghanemi, A., Yoshioka, M., & St‐Amand, J. (2022) · Medicines · doi:10.3390/medicines9010007 · Cited by 11
“The positive impacts of exercise on regeneration could be explained by the properties that have been associated to exercise, such as anti-inflammatory [75], antioxidant [76], anticancer [77] and anti-ageing [78] properties, that lead to suitable outcomes for regeneration and bio-homeostasis in general.”
BackgroundCalonge‐Pascual, S., Casajús, J. A., & González‐Gross, M. (2022) · Contemporary Nurse · doi:10.1080/10376178.2022.2080088 · Cited by 10
“, 1953) regarding the benefits of exercise on human health (Booth et al., 2017; Del Corral, 2007; Hojman et al., 2017; Pedersen & Saltin, 2006).”
BackgroundWu, M., Pang, Y., Chen, M., Li, L., Yan, L., Ning, J., Liu, Q., Zhang, Y., Jiang, T., Kang, A., et al. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158598 · Cited by 11
Luoto, R., Ruuskanen, O., Ihalainen, J. K., Pekkala, S., Hintikka, J. E., Kanerva, N., Waris, M. E., Heinonen, O. J., & Valtonen, M. (2022) · Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise · doi:10.1007/s42978-022-00186-w · Cited by 11
“Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and cancer [19, 44].”
BackgroundExercise and microbiome: From big data to therapy
Meng, D., Ai, S., Spanos, M., Shi, X., Li, G., Crețoiu, D., Zhou, Q., & Xiao, J. (2023) · Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal · doi:10.1016/j.csbj.2023.10.034 · Cited by 12
“It has been demonstrated that engaging in physical activity could reduce cancer risk and restrict tumor growth [13], thereby contributing to cancer prevention and treatment [14 – 17].”
BackgroundEcharri, A. A., Beresford, M. J., Campbell, J. P., Jones, R. H., Butler, R., Gollob, K. J., Brum, P. C., Thompson, D., & Turner, J. E. (2021) · Frontiers in Immunology · doi:10.3389/fimmu.2020.616188 · Cited by 11
Shallwani, S. M., Thomas, R. L., King, J., Toupin‐April, K., & Poitras, S. (2023) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2023.2200037 · Cited by 11
Kwon, Y. R., Kim, Y., & Kim, Y. (2025) · Annals of Medicine · doi:10.1080/07853890.2025.2586331 · Cited by 12
Mechanisms Underlying the Rarity of Skeletal Muscle Cancers
Kump, D. S. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms25126480 · Cited by 10
“Myokines are SKM-secreted humoral factors, and their discovery, beginning with IL-6 in 2000 [153], has defined SKM as an important endocrine organ [154,155] that engages in extensive and complex cross-talk with other organs, including cancerous tissues [64,130,155,156].”
BackgroundInfluentialThe potential of kaempferol in digestive system tumors: recent advances and mechanistic insights
Hao, X., Ding, M., Chi, C., Xu, X., Zhang, X., & Hu, M. (2024) · Discover Oncology · doi:10.1007/s12672-024-01510-2 · Cited by 12
Ma, D. D. F., Liu, Z., Au, K., Tran, M. J., Artuz, C. M., Greenwood, M. J., Bilmon, I., & Kliman, D. S. (2024) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.24.00333 · Cited by 11
Synergistic strength: unleashing exercise and polyphenols against breast cancer
Pang, H., & Badehnoosh, B. (2025) · Cancer Cell International · doi:10.1186/s12935-025-03767-1 · Cited by 11
“Furthermore, it interacts with systemic factors and may improve negative effects related to cancer and its treatments while enhancing the effectiveness of cancer therapies [21].”
Özerkliğ, B., Türkel, İ., Yılmaz, M., Vaizoğlu, R. D., Sevim, H., Dikmen, Z. G., Saleem, A., & Koşar, Ş. N. (2025) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/s00421-025-05787-1 · Cited by 10
“…positive adaptations through the modulation of reactive oxygen species, inflammation, hormones, immune cell responses, and growth factors, which ultimately attenuate tumor formation through alterations in the tumor microenvironment and circulating factors (Ashcraft et al. 2016; Hojman et al. 2018).”
Suárez-Alcázar, M. P., Ayora, A. F., Muriach, M., Recacha-Ponce, P., Garcia-Roca, M. E., Coret, A., Pastor, J. C., Salas‐Medina, P., & Collado‐Boira, E. (2025) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13091083 · Cited by 10
Physical activity in relation to circulating hormone concentrations in 117,100 men in UK Biobank
Watts, E. L., Perez‐Cornago, A., Doherty, A., Allen, N. E., Fensom, G. K., Tin, S. T., Key, T. J., & Travis, R. C. (2021) · Cancer Causes & Control · doi:10.1007/s10552-021-01466-6 · Cited by 10
Moving Through COVID-19: Perspectives of Older Adults in the Getting Older Adults Outdoors Study
Kokorelias, K. M., Ripat, J. D., Jones, C., Mayo, N. E., Salbach, N. M., & Barclay, R. (2021) · Journal of Aging and Physical Activity · doi:10.1123/japa.2021-0098 · Cited by 10
Højman, P., Stagaard, R., Adachi-Fernandez, E., Deshmukh, A. S., Mund, A., Olsen, C. H., Keller, L., Pedersen, B. K., & Gehl, J. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-08850-5 · Cited by 12
Maliniak, M. L., Gapstur, S. M., McCullough, L. E., Rees‐Punia, E., Gaudet, M. M., Um, C. Y., Guinter, M. A., Flanders, W. D., & Patel, A. V. (2020) · Cancer Causes & Control · doi:10.1007/s10552-020-01365-2 · Cited by 13
Brown, M.-J., Morris, M. A., & Akam, E. C. (2020) · American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology · doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00461.2020 · Cited by 11
Bouras, E., Gill, D., Zuber, V., Murphy, N., Dimou, N. L., Aleksandrova, K., Lewis, S. J., Martin, R. M., Yarmolinsky, J., Albanes, D., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/ije/dyae067 · Cited by 11
Association of blood cadmium and physical activity with mortality: A prospective cohort study
Chen, Y., Zhen, C., Zeng, L., Feng, H., Wang, J., Ai, Q. Y. H., Ai, S., Zhang, J., Liang, Y. Y., Xue, H., et al. (2024) · Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.117541 · Cited by 9
The Therapeutic Potential of Physical Exercise in Cancer: The Role of Chemokines
Buzaglo, G. B. B., Telles, G. D., Araújo, R. B., Dias, G., Ruberti, O. M., Ferreira, M. L. V., Derchain, S., VECHIN, F. C., & Conceição, M. S. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms252413740 · Cited by 12
“Regular exercise induces a challenge to body homeostasis [95] by eliciting adaptations to cellular, molecular, and systemic levels [27,95].”
InfluentialCancer and neurotransmitter receptors
Wang, X., Shi, M., Tian, J., & Yu, W. (2025) · Chinese Medical Journal · doi:10.1097/cm9.0000000000003656 · Cited by 10
Carcinogenic effects of paraquat-based herbicides: a comprehensive review
Carrillo, M. G., Madanes, D., & Blaustein, M. (2025) · Environmental Science and Pollution Research · doi:10.1007/s11356-025-36593-z · Cited by 10
“…genetic and epigenetic predispositions, clinical conditions such as infections, environmental exposure to carcinogenic agents, and lifestyle behaviors such as diet, physical activity, and sleep patterns—contribute to cancer incidence (Vineis and Wild 2014; Grosso et al. 2017; Hojman et al 2018).”
Salamon, G., Dougherty, D., Whiting, L., Crawford, G. B., Stein, B. N., & Kotasek, D. (2020) · Internal Medicine Journal · doi:10.1111/imj.15170 · Cited by 9
“Recent research has focused on molecular and cellular mechanisms by which exercise might directly alter tumour cell behaviour (6, 17).”
BackgroundHanson, E. D., Bates, L., Bartlett, D. B., & Campbell, J. P. (2021) · European Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1007/s00421-021-04679-4 · Cited by 9
Indicators of response to exercise training: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Ardavani, A., Aziz, H., Phillips, B. E., Doleman, B., Ramzan, I., Mozaffar, B., Atherton, P. J., & IDRIS, I. R. (2021) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044676 · Cited by 9
“7 8 16 Within the literature concerning structured exercise training as a form of physical activity, and away from specialist athletic training regimes, three broad variants of exercise training modalities are commonly”
BackgroundA Narrative Review of Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress: Oxidative DNA Damage Underlined
Al-Horani, R. (2022) · The Open Sports Sciences Journal · doi:10.2174/1875399x-v15-e2202220 · Cited by 9
The effect of single bout and prolonged aerobic exercise on tumor hypoxia in mice
Elming, P. B., Busk, M., Wittenborn, T. R., Bussink, J., Horsman, M. R., & Lønbro, S. (2023) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00561.2022 · Cited by 9
Kjeldsted, E., Ammitzbøll, G., Jørgensen, L. B., Lodin, A., Bojesen, R. D., Ceballos, S. G., Rosthøj, S., Lænkholm, A., Skou, S. T., Jack, S., et al. (2023) · BMC Cancer · doi:10.1186/s12885-023-11284-5 · Cited by 10
“Evidence from preclinical studies with animal models also points to a growth inhibitory effect of aerobic exercise on the tumour microenvironment [20, 21] with e.”
BackgroundXin, X., Huang, L., Pan, Q., Zhang, J., & Hu, W. (2024) · Cancer Medicine · doi:10.1002/cam4.7085 · Cited by 8
Impacts of Nutlin-3a and exercise on murine double minute 2–enriched glioma treatment
Chen, Y., Fan, Z., Luo, Z., Kang, X., Wan, R., Li, F., Lin, W., Han, Z., Qi, B., Lin, J., et al. (2024) · Neural Regeneration Research · doi:10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-00875 · Cited by 9
“Physical activity might exert anti-cancer effects by modulating biomarker targets (Ballard-Barbash et al., 2012; Hojman et al., 2018; Luo et al., 2022a).”
BackgroundAssociation of Exercise Behavior with Overall Survival in Stage I–IIIA Lung Cancer
Ha, D. M., Zeng, C. X., Chan, E. D., Gray, M., Mazzone, P. J., Samet, J. M., & Steiner, J. F. (2020) · Annals of the American Thoracic Society · doi:10.1513/annalsats.202003-235oc · Cited by 11
Lamkin, D. M., Bradshaw, K. P., Chang, J. Y., Epstein, M., Gomberg, J., Prajapati, K. P., Soliman, V. H., Sylviana, T., Wong, Y., Morizono, K., et al. (2021) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.10725 · Cited by 9
Arietaleanizbeaskoa, M. S., Gil‐Rey, E., Mendizabal-Gallastegui, N., García-Álvarez, A., Fuente, I. D. L., Domínguez-Martinez, S., Pablo, S., Coca, A., Gutiérrez-Santamaría, B., & Grandes, G. (2021) · JMIR Research Protocols · doi:10.2196/24835 · Cited by 10
“To target tumor intrinsic factors, moderate-to-high intensity endurance exercise is better than light exercise [9].”
BackgroundInfluentialBurtscher, J., Millet, G. P., Renner-Sattler, K., Klimont, J., Hackl, M., & Burtscher, M. (2021) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers13174420 · Cited by 9
“In light of the highly protective effect of physical activity on cancer prevention [47] and mortality [48] in general, these results may partly explain the reduced incidence and mortality rates of male colorectal cancer and”
BackgroundKennedy, S. A., Annett, S., Dunne, M. R., Boland, F., O’Neill, L. M., Guinan, E. M., Doyle, S. L., Foley, E. K., Elliott, J. A., Murphy, C. F., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2021.669078 · Cited by 8
“org 7 longer intervention time (>16 weeks) is required to detect changes in the systemic levels of pro-inflammatory makers such as CRP, TNF-a and IL-6 which are shown to increase following physical inactivity or sedentary behavior (29, 37).”
BackgroundEffect of exercise on phase angle in cancer patients: a systematic review
MARTINS, A. D., OLIVEIRA, R., BRITO, J. P., COSTA, T., SILVA, J., RAMALHO, F., SANTOS-ROCHA, R., & PIMENTA, N. (2021) · The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness · doi:10.23736/s0022-4707.21.12727-6 · Cited by 10
Moraitis, A. M., Seven, M., Sirard, J. R., & Walker, R. (2021) · Journal of Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology · doi:10.1089/jayao.2021.0109 · Cited by 9
Awareness and attitudes of oncology physicians recommending exercise to patients with cancer
Delialioğlu, S. Ü., Mandıroğlu, S., & Göksel, F. (2022) · Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation · doi:10.5606/tftrd.2022.7120 · Cited by 9
“[4,14] As a result of these mechanisms, exercise improves drug tolerance and increases the effectiveness of treatment.[15]”
BackgroundThe Nervous System Contributes to the Tumorigenesis and Progression of Human Digestive Tract Cancer
Dai, D., & Liu, H. (2022) · Journal of Immunology Research · doi:10.1155/2022/9595704 · Cited by 9
“On the other hand, physical activity in leisure time is related to multiple inhibiting e ff ects on cancer, such as activating the sympathetic system, suppressing endocrine factors (such as gonadal hormone, insulin, and adenosine kinase), and improving immune system function [21].”
Light-activated nanomaterials for tumor immunotherapy
Wang, F., Duan, H., Xu, W., Sheng, G., Sun, Z., & Chu, H. (2022) · Frontiers in Chemistry · doi:10.3389/fchem.2022.1031811 · Cited by 9
“The traditional clinical methods of tumor treatment are mainly surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (Burugu et al., 2017; Hojman et al., 2018), which have defects, such as poor efficacy and high toxicity (Zeng et al.”
BackgroundChang, M., Wang, J., Hashim, H. A., Xie, S., & Malik, A. (2022) · World Journal of Surgical Oncology · doi:10.1186/s12957-022-02807-8 · Cited by 9
“In contrast, our adopted exercise program placed greater emphasis on short-term (8–12 weeks), high-intensity exercise (namely, 85–95% HRmax), which induced more physiological alterations (such as cytotoxic immunocyte mobilization and sympathetic activation) [41, 42].”
MethodLi, Q., Pan, X., Li, X., & Huang, W. (2022) · Cancers · doi:10.3390/cancers14235760 · Cited by 11
Exercise-Induced Circulating microRNAs: Potential Key Factors in the Control of Breast Cancer
Telles, G. D., Conceição, M. S., VECHIN, F. C., Libardi, C. A., Mori, M. A., Derchain, S., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2022) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.800094 · Cited by 8
Xue, J.-D., Xiang, W.-F., Cai, M., & Xiao-yun, L. (2024) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2024.1332148 · Cited by 8
Parent-Roberge, H., Fontvieille, A., Poirier, L., Tai, L., Pavic, M., Fülöp, T., & Riesco, É. (2024) · Brain Behavior & Immunity - Health · doi:10.1016/j.bbih.2024.100825 · Cited by 8
“The cumulative effect of successive exercise bouts might thus “ fuel ” the increased tumoricidal activity that is observed in animal models of regular exercise (Hojman et al., 2018).”
BackgroundSaini, S., Meena, J., Malik, R., Saini, T., & Verma, V. (2024) · Nano-Structures & Nano-Objects · doi:10.1016/j.nanoso.2024.101393 · Cited by 8
Rusu, L., Mihai, T. A., Schenker, R. A., Marin, M. I., Schenker, M., Streba, C. T., Gheonea, D. I., & Piele, D. (2025) · Romanian Journal of Morphology and Embryology · doi:10.47162/rjme.66.1.08 · Cited by 9
“These results suggest that cytokines released during exercise contribute to antitumor effects through a cellular signaling cascade that promotes an anti-cancerous environment [19].”
Michou, V., Zervoudis, S., Eskitzis, P., Tsamos, G., Vasdeki, D., Vouxinou, A., Markja, A., & Iatrakis, G. M. (2025) · Medicina · doi:10.3390/medicina61071167 · Cited by 11
“Emerging evidence suggests that exercise training may influence circulating microRNA (c-miRNA) expression with potential anti-tumor effects in BC. Preclinical studies demonstrate that exercise reduces tumor incidence, size, and proliferation [107–110].”
Fasting and Exercise in Oncology: Potential Synergism of Combined Interventions
Wilson, R. L., Kang, D., Christopher, C. N., Crane, T. E., & Dieli-Conwright, C. M. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13103421 · Cited by 8
Shamsi, M. M., Vahed, A., Hekmatikar, A. H. A., & Suzuki, K. (2022) · Frontiers in Nutrition · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.847215 · Cited by 8
“Some studies showed that regular physical exercise is effective in body weight and body mass index controlling, and improving patients’ quality of life and sleep quality (41).”
BackgroundLi, J.-H., Qiu, H., & Li, J.-N. (2023) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2023.1129221 · Cited by 6
“Increasing evidence suggests that exercise can play an important role in cancer prevention; people who are physically inactive have a higher cancer morbidity than those who exercise regularly (Hojman et al., 2018; Wang and Zhou, 2021).”
BackgroundCeci, C., García‐Chico, C., Atzori, M. G., Lacal, P. M., Lista, S., Santos‐Lozano, A., Graziani, G., & Pinto-Fraga, J. (2023) · Journal of Cancer · doi:10.7150/jca.88559 · Cited by 9
“In the last years, physical activity/exercise was reported to significantly affect cancer prevention and progression, as it lowers both the incidence and recurrence of different tumor types [1–6].”
BackgroundIntegrative Oncology Approaches to Reduce Recurrence of Disease and Improve Survival
Powers-James, C. R., Morse, M., Narayanan, S., Ramondetta, L. M., Lopez, G., Wagner, R., & Cohen, L. G. (2024) · Current Oncology Reports · doi:10.1007/s11912-023-01467-5 · Cited by 10
Using dynamic cell communication improves treatment strategies of breast cancer
Liu, Z., Hu, S., Yun, Z., Hu, W., Zhang, S., & Luo, D. (2021) · Cancer Cell International · doi:10.1186/s12935-021-01979-9 · Cited by 7
Brown, M., Rébillard, A., Hart, N. H., O’Connor, D., Prue, G., O’Sullivan, J. M., & Jain, S. (2022) · Sports Medicine - Open · doi:10.1186/s40798-022-00436-9 · Cited by 8
“The production of such factors can exert autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine effects on several neighbouring and distant tissues, including prostate tumour cells [49, 53].”
BackgroundEffect of exercise on phase angle in cancer patients: a systematic review
Martins, A. D., Oliveira, R. F. S., Brito, J. P., Costa, T. R. A., Silva, J., Ramalho, F., Santos-Rocha, R., & Pimenta, N. M. (2021) · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · Cited by 8
Pérez-Regalado, S., León, J., & Feriche, B. (2022) · Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1007/s00432-022-03918-1 · Cited by 8
“Furthermore, some pharmacological strategies have emerged targeting the HIF1-α signaling pathway (Hojman et al. 2018).”
BackgroundThomsen, S. N., Wriedt, E. B., Stærk, M. G., Djurhuus, S. S., Toft, B. G., Wielsøe, S., Røder, M. A., Hasselager, T., Østergren, P. B., Jakobsen, H., et al. (2025) · Experimental Physiology · doi:10.1113/ep092374 · Cited by 7
“To this end, exercise-induced mobilization, activation and redistribution of cytotoxic immune cells is emerging as a key candidate anticancer mechanism (Fiuza-Luces et al., 2024; Hojman et al., 2018).”
Minuzzi, L. G., Batatinha, H., Weyh, C., Lakshmi, V. S. B., Fiuza‐Luces, C., Gálvez, B. G., Lucía, A., Teixeira, A. M., Sommer, N., Neto, J. C. R., et al. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-06057-y · Cited by 10
Kjeldsted, E., Ammitzbøll, G., Lænkholm, A., Rasic, D., Ceballos, S. G., Jørgensen, L. B., Skou, S. T., Bojesen, R. D., Lodin, A., Tolver, A., et al. (2025) · Clinical Cancer Research · doi:10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-25-0416 · Cited by 9
“Preclinical studies have suggested that exercise inhibits primary tumor growth (3–5) and induces favorable changes in the tumor microenvironment such as increased stimulation of immune cells to infiltrate the tumor (6) and normalized vascularization, potentially enhancing the delivery and efficacy…”
Fatiga asociada al cáncer de mama luego de un programa de entrenamiento
Pereira-Rodríguez, J. E., Flórez, D. G. P., Rodríguez, R. P., Pereira-Rodríguez, P., Velásquez-Badillo, X., & Pérez, Y. A. C. (2020) · Acta Médica Costarricense · doi:10.51481/amc.v62i1.1056 · Cited by 8
Kang, D., Barnes, O., Heiden, M. G. V., & Dieli-Conwright, C. M. (2022) · Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology · doi:10.1016/j.critrevonc.2022.103779 · Cited by 7
Nordengen, A. L., Kværner, A. S., Krutto, A., Alavi, D. H., Henriksen, H. B., Henriksen, C., Raastad, T., Smeland, S., Bøhn, S. K., Shaposhnikov, S. A., et al. (2023) · Free Radical Biology and Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2023.12.016 · Cited by 7
Hazra, R., Chattopadhyay, S., Mallick, A., Gayen, S., & Roy, S. (2024) · Medical Oncology · doi:10.1007/s12032-024-02416-3 · Cited by 8
“All these effects of exercise may collectively influence tumor growth kinetics and metabolism [108, 109].”
Effect of dietary probiotics intake on cancer mortality: a cohort study of NHANES 1999–2018
Yang, Y., Pan, M., Xia, X., Liang, J., Yin, X., Ju, Q., & Hao, J. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-83722-8 · Cited by 9
Health benefits of physical activity: What role does skeletal muscle-organ crosstalk play?
Powers, S. K., Goldstein, E. R., Lategan-Potgieter, R., Schrager, M. A., Skelton, M., & Demirel, H. A. (2025) · Sports Medicine and Health Science · doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2025.02.010 · Cited by 7
“79 – 82 Tumor formation and growth occur due to multiple interactions be-tween the systemic environment, the tumor cell, and the tumor micro-environment.”
InfluentialExercise therapy: an effective approach to mitigate the risk of cancer metastasis
Chen, X., Zhang, J., Gao, F., Liu, N., Du, H., Li, J., Li, Z., & Chen, R. (2025) · World Journal of Surgical Oncology · doi:10.1186/s12957-025-03846-7 · Cited by 11
“In oncology, emerging evidence suggests that physical activity may influence tumor biology and reduce metastasis risk by enhancing immune function, modulating hormone levels, and suppressing inflammatory pathways [18–20].”
The role of physical activity and epigenetic changes in colorectal cancer prevention
Sun, Y., Keat, O. B., & Rajabi, S. (2025) · Cancer Cell International · doi:10.1186/s12935-025-03872-1 · Cited by 7
“As a result, the cellular processes driven by these pathways—such as proliferation and resistance to cell death—are significantly attenuated, making it less likely that cells will undergo malignant transformations [54, 63, 67, 68].”
Identification of Research Priorities in Exercise Oncology: A Consensus Study
Morris, M. A., Crank, H., Loosemore, M., & Stevinson, C. D. (2020) · Journal of Cancer · doi:10.7150/jca.42992 · Cited by 7
Systematic assessment of microRNAs associated with lung cancer and physical exercise
Liu, Y., He, L., & Wang, W. (2022) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.917667 · Cited by 7
Körperliche Aktivität und Bewegungstherapie in der Onkologie
Zoth, N., Böhlke, L., Theurich, S., & Baumann, F. T. (2023) · Die Innere Medizin · doi:10.1007/s00108-022-01450-5 · Cited by 7
Rogers-Shepp, I., Bhattacharya, S., Mennillo, H., Kumar, R. P., Hsieh, B., & Anandarajah, G. (2023) · Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1177/02692163231162888 · Cited by 7
Xiong, J., Chen, K., Huang, W. T., Huang, M., Cao, F., Wang, Y., & Chen, Q. (2023) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2023.1249353 · Cited by 7
“Another potential explanation for the favorable survival observed in non-sarcopenia patients was that numerous cytokines (e.g., myokines) released by skeletal muscle cells can inhibit cancer cell viability and proliferation (57).”
BackgroundSahrmann, S. A. (2022) · International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy · doi:10.26603/001c.30175 · Cited by 7
Metadata
- Authors
- Hojman, P., Gehl, J., Christensen, J. F., & Pedersen, B. K.
- Affiliations
- Herlev Hospital (DK)
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- Venue
- Cell Metabolism
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-01
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 10-21
- ISSN
- 1550-4131 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2765400080
- Cited by
- 600
- References
- 112
- Citations by year
- 2026: 63 · 2025: 78 · 2024: 86 · 2023: 71 · 2022: 90 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 38 · 2018: 25
- FWCI
- 3.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Cell Metabolism (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research at the University of Copenhagen (University of Copenhagen) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Danmarks Grundforskningsfond (DNRF55)
- Strategiske Forskningsråd (09-067009, 09-075724)
- TrygFonden
- Kræftens Bekæmpelse
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Metabolism, Diabetes, and Cancer
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology (medical) › Exercise and Physiological Responses
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
- Keywords
- physical activity, cancer prevention, cancer therapy, tumor growth inhibition, tumor progression, tumor-intrinsic factors, exercise-induced metabolic changes, molecular mechanisms
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Immunity, Models, Biological, Neoplasms, Exercise, Carcinogenesis
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
