Synergistic effect of exercise training and curcumin supplementation on inflammation indices in overweight breast-cancer patients after adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy: a randomized controlled trial study

Inflammation is the most important cause of breast-cancer recurrence and progression of metastatic breast cancer after adjuvant radiotherapy. Physical activity and nutritional supplements are the most important non-pharmacology strategies for cancer management. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of aerobic training and curcumin supplementation on inflammation in overweight breast-cancer patients after adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.

For this purpose, 40 overweight women with breast cancer after radiotherapy treatment were randomly distributed into the following groups: 1: control, 2: curcumin supplementation, 3: exercise training, and 4: curcumin supplementation and exercise training. Training groups are subject to endurance training with a 60–80% maximal heart rate for 8 weeks (three sessions per week). Subjects in supplementation groups intake 500 mg of curcumin each day with dinner. Fasting blood samples were taken before and 3 days after the last exercise session. Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) and high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) were measured using ELISA methods.

Statistical analyses showed that serum hs-CRP was promoted after aerobic exercise training. Curcumin supplementation with aerobic training inhibits aerobic training-induced hs-CRP promotion. Aerobic training with curcumin supplementation synergistically reduced serum PTX3. Also, body-fat percentage and body mass index (BMI) decreased after aerobic training with and without curcumin supplementation. Aerobic training without (0.006) and with (p = 0.02) curcumin supplementation ameliorated quality of life.

Generally, these results showed that exercise training with curcumin supplementation for 8 weeks synergistically decreased inflammation markers by body-fat percentage and BMI reduction in overweight women with breast cancer after chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy that is associated with quality of life promotion and reducing the risk of cancer recurrence.