Kathryn Schmitz

PhD, MPH

Penn State University College of Medicine

Professor, Public Health Science, Associate Director of Population Sciences

PLCO (Learn more about this study)

PLCO-228

Sep 23, 2016

Association of Physical Activity, Risk of Ovarian Cancer and Cancer Related Biomarkers

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies, causing more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. Physical activity may lower the risk of ovarian cancer and improve health outcomes. Physical activity may have therapeutic effect on ovarian cancer risk through immunity, inflammation and angiogenesis pathways. Previous studies focused on physical activity effect after ovarian cancer diagnosis. A prior randomized clinical trial showed that 225 min/wk walking program could increase 57% in natural killer (NK) cell activity compared with sedentary women, which suggested improving immune function (Nieman et al., 1990). Six months of 150 min/wk walking program improved anti-inflammatory effects and downregulate T-lymphocyte and monocyte activation (Viana et al., 2014). In another study, 150 min/wk of exercise decreased circulating VEGF and angiogenic activation (DuttaRoy et al., 2015; Eleuteri et al., 2013). However, evidence of association among physical activity, risk of ovarian cancer and ovarian cancer related biomarkers is not consistent. In addition, we do not know whether physical activity could modify ovarian cancer related health outcomes and CA-125 level by altering biomarkers level. We propose to use existing physical activity, biomarkers and questionnaire data to investigate these questions in the PLCO. We will conduct a case-control analysis to assess the association between physical activity and ovarian cancer risk, and to assess the association between baseline biomarkers and ovarian cancer risk. We then will conduct a retrospective cohort analysis to examine physical activity effect on biomarkers and CA-125 levels among women with ovarian cancer. If we identify therapeutic effects of physical activity on risk of ovarian cancer and/or cancer-related biomarkers, we may then conducted randomized controlled trials to investigate the dose-response effect of physical activity, to understand the beneficial influence to prevent ovarian cancer, and to help to develop clinical guidelines for clinicians to prescribe appropriate dose of physical activity among ovarian cancer patients to improve health outcomes.