New research has shown that moderate to intense bursts of exercise can improve the efficiency of rituximab, an antibody therapy used to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia. In a study conducted in England, participants with CLL, who had not received any prior cancer treatment, engaged in cycling exercise for 20 to 30 minutes. The exercise increased the number of natural killer cells, which can help attack cancer cells in the blood when combined with rituximab. The researchers found that the exercise raised the number of anti-cancer cells by 254%, making them twice as effective in blood samples taken immediately after the exercise.
While this study highlights the potential benefits of exercise in combination with antibody therapy for cancer treatment, experts caution that the small sample size of the study limits the ability to draw broad conclusions for a larger population. Catherine S. Diefenbach, MD, director of the Clinical Lymphoma Program at NYU Langone Health, notes that while the results are interesting, there are still unanswered questions, particularly related to how the findings impact clinical outcomes in patients with CLL. Wael Harb, MD, a hematologist and medical oncologist, also points out the challenges of extrapolating the findings of the study to a wider patient population due to feasibility and sample size limitations. Further research with larger study cohorts is needed to validate these findings and assess their impact on clinical outcomes.
The study’s results show that a single bout of vigorous-intensity exercise improves rituximab-mediated anti-cancer cell activity. While exercise has been recognized as a way to boost the immune system to fight cancer cells, especially in response to chemotherapy or surgery-related fatigue, more research is needed to understand the long-term impact of exercise on cancer treatment outcomes. Harb emphasizes the importance of physical activity in boosting the body’s immune system and supporting immune-based therapies for cancer. However, he highlights practical challenges related to vigorous exercise, such as individual abilities, age, and comorbidities, which may limit participation in such activities for cancer patients.
The study findings offer promising insights into the potential benefits of exercise in enhancing the efficacy of cancer treatments like rituximab. By stimulating natural killer cells and increasing their cytotoxicity against cancer cells, exercise could play a role in improving treatment outcomes for patients with CLL. However, further research with larger sample sizes and diverse patient populations is needed to validate and generalize these findings. While exercise is increasingly recognized for its role in supporting the immune system in fighting cancer, considerations must be made for individual patient circumstances and limitations in implementing vigorous exercise regimens as part of cancer treatment plans.
Despite the promising results of the study, experts caution against drawing definitive conclusions about the impact of exercise on CLL treatment outcomes based on the current research. Diefenbach emphasizes the need for larger, more diverse studies to assess the clinical implications of exercise-induced immune system activation in cancer patients. Harb stresses the importance of balancing the benefits of exercise with individual patient factors that may limit participation in vigorous physical activity. As research continues to explore the role of exercise in cancer therapy, it will be essential to consider a personalized approach to incorporating physical activity into treatment plans for optimal outcomes for patients with CLL and other cancers.
