Although there is evidence linking adolescent recreational physical activity to a decreased risk of breast cancer, the biochemical processes behind this association are yet unknown. This study looked at the relationships between RPA and three BC indicators in teenage girls: oxidative stress, inflammation, and breast tissue composition (BTC). They also looked into the relationship between BTC throughout this developmental period and inflammation and oxidative stress.
This research examined data from 191 Black/African American and Hispanic (Dominican) teenage girls (ages 11–20) in an urban population-based cohort. The participants were divided into 3 categories according on how many hours they spent in organized and disorganized RPA over the previous week: none, less than two hours, and more than two hours.
Also, chromophores that are favourably (percent water content and percent collagen content) or negatively (percent lipid content) linked with mammographic breast density were employed to quantify BTC using optical spectroscopy. This study evaluated blood indicators of inflammation, such as TNF-α, IL-6, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, as well as urine quantities of 15-F2t-isoprostane, a sensitive and specific indicator of oxidative stress.
51% of teenage females said they had not participated in any kind of RPA over the previous week; 73% said they had not participated in planned activities; and 66% said they had not participated in disorganized activities. In addition to having lower urine concentrations of 15-F2t-isoprostane (β: − 0.50, 95% CI: − 0.95, − 0.05), girls who participated in ≥ 2 hours of organized RPA in the previous week had lower percent water content in the breast compared to none, and this connection was not altered by percent body fat.
Greater levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane in the urine were linked to greater percentages of collagen in the breast (β: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.31). The detected inflammatory biomarkers did not correlate with RPA, and after controlling for body fat percentage, these biomarkers did not correlate with BTC. Overall, regardless of body fat, RPA is linked to oxidative stress and BTC in teenage girls. To comprehend the significance of these findings for later BC risk, further longitudinal study is required.
Source:
Kehm, R. D., Lilge, L., Walter, E. J., Santella, R. M., White, M. L., Herbstman, J. B., Perera, F., Miller, R. L., & Terry, M. B. (2026). Recreational physical activity and biomarkers of breast cancer risk in a cohort of adolescent girls. Breast Cancer Research. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-025-02216-1
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