Analysing the impact of physical activity on markers of inflammation

This project aims to assess markers of inflammation present in blood before and after a physical activity intervention.

Regular physical activity affects how our immune system works. This can slow the progress of disease and improve outcomes in patients with cancer.

Markers of inflammation can be detected through blood tests and they can be used to identify inflammation in the body caused by disease. We want to examine whether regular physical activity influences markers of inflammation. We also want to investigate whether immunological parameters and their potential modification through regular physical activity could be linked to how a disease develops.

This study is part of the Prostate cancer – Exercise and Metformin Trial (Pre-EMpT) study we conducted. During that study we assigned men with prostate cancer to one of four groups:

• physical activity
• metformin supplementation
• combined physical activity and metformin supplementation
• control group (no change to normal routine)

We did this to find out how practical or feasible it would be to ask those men to increase their activity levels or take metformin (a medication for type 2 diabetes).

The current study will explore the relationship between prostate cancer progression and potential changes to markers of inflammation in blood. We will do this by analysing blood samples collected and stored during the Pre-EMpT trial.

Our findings will support funding applications for further research to evaluate exercise interventions in men with prostate cancer.