Physical activity levels in women with BRCA 1/2 mutations

The BRCA 1/2 mutations are the most known typologies of hereditary breast cancer (BC). Studies have provided among women carrying these mutations preliminary evidence of a protective role of PA against BC, particularly during adolescence or early adulthood. Data from the German LIBRE study confirmed a significantly lower BC prevalence in women who reported higher PA during their adolescence [1, 2]. In addition, the WISER trial on healthy pre-menopausal women at high risk of BC showed that exercise raised adiponectin and lowered leptin, controlling for a change in body fat and suggesting the importance of adipokines in BRCA penetrance [3]. Aim of the present study was to investigate the role of PA on BC risk factors in women carrying BRCA 1/2 mutations. METHODS: Data analysis involved 63 women (47.6±12.4yrs) with BRCA 1/2 mutations in care at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan. The participants filled in Godin-Shepard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire for the evaluation of the PA levels. Moreover, they underwent to anthropometric, metabolic, and blood sample evaluations. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 27. RESULTS: The women were classified as active (n=22) and inactive (n=41). Insulin levels were found significantly lower in active women compared to the inactive group (p<.05); there were no differences for the other variables analyzed. The correlation analysis on the entire sample showed that higher PA levels are significantly correlated with a lower weight (r2=-0.26, p<.05), lower BMI (r2=-0.30, p<.05), lower hip circumference (r2=-0.30, p<.05), lower triglycerides (r2=-0.28, p<.05), lower fat mass in % (r2=-0.31, p<.05) and lower fat mass in kg (r2=-0.28, p<.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that higher levels of PA can play an important and protective role against BC. Structured PA interventions are useful for developing new strategies that could provide a tool for modulate the penetrance of hereditary BC. References: 1. Kiechle, M, et al., Feasibility of structured endurance training and Mediterranean diet in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers-an interventional randomized controlled multicenter trial (LIBRE-1). BMC Cancer, 2017. 17, 752. 2. Grill, S, et al., Smoking and physical inactivity increase cancer prevalence in BRCA-1 and BRCA-2 mutation carriers: results from a retrospective observational analysis. Arch Gynecol Obstet., 2017. 296(6):1135-1144. 3. Sturgeon, K, et al., Exercise-Induced Dose-Response Alterations in Adiponectin and Leptin Levels Are Dependent on Body Fat Changes in Women at Risk for Breast Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev., 2016. 25:1195-1200.