Adolescent girls who engage in recreational physical activity may have a reduced risk of breast cancer, as per a study by researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. The study revealed that such activity could impact breast tissue composition and stress biomarkers in girls. Girls participating in at least two hours of recreational physical activity per week showed lower water content in breast tissue and decreased concentrations of stress-related urinary biomarkers compared to those who were inactive.
The research, published in the journal Breast Cancer Research, highlights how physical activity during adolescence, a crucial period for breast development, can influence biological pathways linked to future breast cancer risk. Rebecca Kehm, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, emphasized the significance of the study in light of the increasing breast cancer rates among young women and the low levels of physical activity observed in adolescents globally. She noted that recreational physical activity’s association with breast tissue composition and stress biomarker changes, independent of body fat, could have significant implications for breast cancer risk.
The study’s findings align with previous research in adult women, indicating that higher physical activity levels correlate with lower mammographic breast density, a key predictor of breast cancer risk. During the study, adolescent participants self-reported their engagement in recreational physical activities over the past week, including both organized and unorganized activities, and underwent clinic visits involving blood and urine collection, as well as breast tissue assessments. The average age of the girls in the study was 16 years, with a significant portion reporting no recreational physical activity in the past week.
The research team emphasized the need for further longitudinal studies to understand how these adolescent biomarkers may impact breast cancer risk later in life.
