New Delhi, January 17 (IANS). A new study shows that regular physical activity in adolescence may reduce the risk of breast cancer because it affects the structure of breast tissue and stress-related biomarkers.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, was published in January 2026.
The latest study by Columbia University has been published in the Breast Cancer Research Journal. In this, RPA (recreational physical activity) and breast tissue composition (BTC), oxidative stress (15-F2T-isoprostane) and inflammation biomarkers were studied in adolescent girls (age 14-19).
Girls who did RPA for 2 or more hours a week were found to have less breast water and oxidative stress.
The study sheds new light on how physical activity during adolescence—a critical time for breast development—may influence biological pathways associated with future breast cancer risk.
Researcher Rebecca Kehm said that this study links RPA to the biological pathways of breast cancer risk, which will help in making policies to reduce the risk in the future.
Kehm added, “Our results show that recreational physical activity is associated with changes in breast tissue composition and stress biomarkers in adolescent girls, independent of body fat, which may have an impact on breast cancer.”
This study is consistent with previous research in adult women, which has shown that greater physical activity is associated with lower mammographic breast density, a key indicator of breast cancer risk.
During adolescence, participants reported physical activity over the past week, which included both organized and unorganized activities. They completed clinic visits, which included taking blood and urine samples as well as assessment of breast tissue.
The average age of girls in this study was 16 years. More than half (51 percent) reported not doing any recreational physical activity in the past week. Seventy-three percent took no part in organized activities, and 66 percent took no part in unorganized activities.
Susan G. According to the Komen Foundation, women who were active in childhood and adolescence have a lower risk later.
This finding is important for health policies, as it shows that promoting sports in schools can prevent breast cancer.
–IANS
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