Effects of Dragon Boat Training on Cytokine Production and Oxidative Stress in Breast Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study

Regular exercise improves physical function and quality of life and reduces fatigue in cancer survivors; these health benefits could be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of exercise. In this study we examined the effects of a whole-body exercise programme and dragon boat paddling on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROMs), antioxidant capacity (BAP) and the circulating levels of several interleukins in breast cancer patients. Thirty four women surgically treated for breast cancer were enrolled in this study: 20 of them usually row dragon boats recreationally while 14 were sedentary. The 16-week training programme consisted of resistance and aerobic exercise, with the addition of dragon boat paddling for the last 8 weeks. Analyses of ROMs, cytokines and BAP were performed before and after 16 weeks of training. Results show a significant decrease in the ROMs value and significantly increased the BAP, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-15 levels. Exercise increased the BAP, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-15 values in the N+ patients, whereas only IL-6 and IL-8 were higher in the N0 patients. We demonstrated that muscle-derived cytokines are released after a training program and that the resulting decreased oxidative stress conditions underline the health-benefiting effects of such activity on breast cancer patients.