Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Cancer Causes & Control
Published in: Cancer Causes & Control 1/2014

01-01-2014 | Original paper

Physical activity, sex steroid, and growth factor concentrations in pre- and post-menopausal women: a cross-sectional study within the EPIC cohort

Authors: S. Rinaldi, R. Kaaks, C. M. Friedenreich, T. J. Key, R. Travis, C. Biessy, N. Slimani, K. Overvad, J. N. Østergaard, A. Tjønneland, A. Olsen, S. Mesrine, A. Fournier, L. Dossus, A. Lukanova, T. Johnson, H. Boeing, M. Vigl, A. Trichopoulou, V. Benetou, D. Trichopoulos, G. Masala, V. Krogh, R. Tumino, F. Ricceri, S. Panico, H. B. Bueno-de-Mesquita, E. M. Monninkhof, A. M. May, E. Weiderpass, J. R. Quirós, N. Travier, E. Molina-Montes, P. Amiano, J. M. Huerta, E. Ardanaz, M. Sund, M. Johansson, K. T. Khaw, N. Wareham, A. Scalbert, M. J. Gunter, E. Riboli, I. Romieu

Published in: Cancer Causes & Control | Issue 1/2014

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

Increased physical activity (PA) is associated with a reduced risk of several cancers. PA may reduce cancer risk by changing endogenous hormones levels, but relatively little research has focused on this topic. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relation between PA and endogenous hormone concentrations.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis of 798 pre- and 1,360 post-menopausal women included as controls in case–control studies on endogenous hormones (steroids, progesterone, sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and growth factors) levels, and cancer risk nested within European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort was performed. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare geometric mean levels of hormones and SHBG by categories of PA.

Results

In pre-menopausal women, active women had 19 % significantly lower concentrations of androstenedione, 14 % lower testosterone, and 20 % lower free testosterone than inactive women, while no differences were observed for estrogens, progesterone, SHBG, and growth factors. In post-menopausal women, active women had 18 % significantly lower estradiol and 20 % lower free estradiol concentrations than inactive women, while no differences were observed for the other hormones and SHBG. More vigorous forms of physical activity were associated with higher insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations. Adjustment for body mass index did not alter the associations. Overall, the percentage of variance in hormone concentrations explained by PA levels was <2 %.

Conclusions

Our results support the hypothesis of an influence, although small in magnitude, of PA on sex hormone levels in blood, independent of body size.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Literature
1.
Friedenreich CM (2011) Physical activity and breast cancer: review of the epidemiologic evidence and biologic mechanisms. Recent Results Cancer Res 188:125–139PubMedCrossRef
2.
Kaaks R, Rinaldi S, Key TJ et al (2005) Postmenopausal serum androgens, oestrogens and breast cancer risk: the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Endocr Relat Cancer 12:1071–1082PubMedCrossRef
3.
Key T, Appleby P, Reeves G, Endogenous Hormones and Breast Cancer Collaborative Group (2002) Endogenous sex hormones and breast cancer in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of nine prospective studies. J Natl Cancer Inst 94:606–616PubMedCrossRef
4.
Kaaks R, Berrino F, Key T et al (2005) Serum sex steroids in premenopausal women and breast cancer risk within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). J Natl Cancer Inst 97:755–765PubMedCrossRef
5.
Eliassen AH, Missmer SA, Tworoger SS et al (2006) Endogenous steroid hormone concentrations and risk of breast cancer among premenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 98:1406–1415PubMedCrossRef
6.
Rinaldi S, Peeters PH, Berrino F et al (2006) IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and breast cancer risk in women: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Endocr Relat Cancer 13:593–605PubMedCrossRef
7.
Key TJ, Appleby PN, Reeves GK, Roddam AW (2010) Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), IGF binding protein 3 (IGFBP3), and breast cancer risk: pooled individual data analysis of 17 prospective studies. Lancet Oncol 11:530–542PubMedCrossRef
8.
Allen NE, Key TJ, Dossus L et al (2008) Endogenous sex hormones and endometrial cancer risk in women in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Endocr Relat Cancer 15:485–497PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
9.
Lukanova A, Lundin E, Micheli A et al (2004) Circulating levels of sex steroid hormones and risk of endometrial cancer in postmenopausal women. Int J Cancer 108:425–432PubMedCrossRef
10.
Rinaldi S, Cleveland R, Norat T et al (2010) Serum levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-3 and colorectal cancer risk: results from the EPIC cohort, plus a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Int J Cancer 126:1702–1715PubMed
11.
van Gils CH, Peeters PH, Schoenmakers MC et al (2009) Physical activity and endogenous sex hormone levels in postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study in the Prospect-EPIC Cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 18:377–383PubMedCrossRef
12.
Bertone-Johnson ER, Tworoger SS, Hankinson SE (2009) Recreational physical activity and steroid hormone levels in postmenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol 170:1095–1104PubMedCrossRef
13.
McTiernan A, Wu L, Chen C et al (2006) Relation of BMI and physical activity to sex hormones in postmenopausal women. Obesity (Silver Spring) 14:1662–1677CrossRef
14.
McTiernan A, Tworoger SS, Rajan KB et al (2004) Effect of exercise on serum androgens in postmenopausal women: a 12-month randomized clinical trial. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 13:1099–1105PubMed
15.
McTiernan A, Tworoger SS, Ulrich CM et al (2004) Effect of exercise on serum estrogens in postmenopausal women: a 12-month randomized clinical trial. Cancer Res 64:2923–2928PubMedCrossRef
16.
Liedtke S, Schmidt ME, Becker S et al (2011) Physical activity and endogenous sex hormones in postmenopausal women: to what extent are observed associations confounded or modified by BMI? Cancer Causes Control 22:81–89PubMedCrossRef
17.
Chan MF, Dowsett M, Folkerd E et al (2007) Usual physical activity and endogenous sex hormones in postmenopausal women: the European prospective investigation into cancer-norfolk population study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16:900–905PubMedCrossRef
18.
Friedenreich CM, Woolcott CG, McTiernan A et al (2010) Alberta physical activity and breast cancer prevention trial: sex hormone changes in a year-long exercise intervention among postmenopausal women. J Clin Oncol 28:1458–1466PubMedCrossRef
19.
De Cree C (1998) Sex steroid metabolism and menstrual irregularities in the exercising female. A review. Sports Med 25:369–406PubMedCrossRef
20.
Verkasalo PK, Thomas HV, Appleby PN, Davey GK, Key TJ (2001) Circulating levels of sex hormones and their relation to risk factors for breast cancer: a cross-sectional study in 1092 pre- and postmenopausal women (United Kingdom). Cancer Causes Control 12:47–59PubMedCrossRef
21.
Tworoger SS, Missmer SA, Eliassen AH, Barbieri RL, Dowsett M, Hankinson SE (2007) Physical activity and inactivity in relation to sex hormone, prolactin, and insulin-like growth factor concentrations in premenopausal women—exercise and premenopausal hormones. Cancer Causes Control 18:743–752PubMedCrossRef
22.
Kossman DA, Williams NI, Domchek SM, Kurzer MS, Stopfer JE, Schmitz KH (2011) Exercise lowers estrogen and progesterone levels in premenopausal women at high risk of breast cancer. J Appl Physiol 111:1687–1693PubMedCrossRef
23.
Sillanpaa E, Hakkinen A, Laaksonen DE, Karavirta L, Kraemer WJ, Hakkinen K (2010) Serum basal hormone concentrations, nutrition and physical fitness during strength and/or endurance training in 39–64-year-old women. Int J Sports Med 31:110–117PubMedCrossRef
24.
Allen NE, Appleby PN, Kaaks R, Rinaldi S, Davey GK, Key TJ (2003) Lifestyle determinants of serum insulin-like growth-factor-I (IGF-I), C-peptide and hormone binding protein levels in British women. Cancer Causes Control 14:65–74PubMedCrossRef
25.
Lukanova A, Toniolo P, Akhmedkhanov A et al (2001) A cross-sectional study of IGF-I determinants in women. Eur J Cancer Prev 10:443–452PubMedCrossRef
26.
Voskuil DW, Bueno de Mesquita HB, Kaaks R et al (2001) Determinants of circulating insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF binding proteins 1–3 in premenopausal women: physical activity and anthropometry (Netherlands). Cancer Causes Control 12:951–958PubMedCrossRef
27.
Madigan MP, Troisi R, Potischman N, Dorgan JF, Brinton LA, Hoover RN (1998) Serum hormone levels in relation to reproductive and lifestyle factors in postmenopausal women (United States). Cancer Causes Control 9:199–207PubMedCrossRef
28.
Key TJ, Appleby PN, Reeves GK et al (2011) Circulating sex hormones and breast cancer risk factors in postmenopausal women: reanalysis of 13 studies. Br J Cancer 105:709–722PubMedCrossRef
29.
Riboli E, Hunt KJ, Slimani N et al (2002) European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC): study populations and data collection. Public Health Nutr 5:1113–1124PubMedCrossRef
30.
Bingham S, Riboli E (2004) Diet and cancer—the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Nat Rev Cancer 4:206–215PubMedCrossRef
31.
Peeters PH, Lukanova A, Allen N et al (2007) Serum IGF-I, its major binding protein (IGFBP-3) and epithelial ovarian cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Endocr Relat Cancer 14:81–90PubMedCrossRef
32.
Rinaldi S, Dossus L, Lukanova A et al (2007) Endogenous androgens and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16:23–29PubMedCrossRef
33.
Haftenberger M, Schuit AJ, Tormo MJ et al (2002) Physical activity of subjects aged 50–64 years involved in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Public Health Nutr 5:1163–1176PubMedCrossRef
34.
Friedenreich C, Norat T, Steindorf K et al (2006) Physical activity and risk of colon and rectal cancers: the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 15:2398–2407PubMedCrossRef
35.
Cust AE, Smith BJ, Chau J et al (2008) Validity and repeatability of the EPIC physical activity questionnaire: a validation study using accelerometers as an objective measure. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 5:33PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
36.
Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Whitt MC et al (2000) Compendium of physical activities: an update of activity codes and MET intensities. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32:S498–S504PubMedCrossRef
37.
Lahmann PH, Friedenreich C, Schuit AJ et al (2007) Physical activity and breast cancer risk: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 16:36–42PubMedCrossRef
38.
Wareham NJ, Jakes RW, Rennie KL et al (2003) Validity and repeatability of a simple index derived from the short physical activity questionnaire used in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Public Health Nutr 6:407–413PubMedCrossRef
39.
Lynch BM, Neilson HK, Friedenreich CM (2011) Physical activity and breast cancer prevention. Recent Results Cancer Res 186:13–42PubMedCrossRef
40.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (1996) Physical activity and health
41.
Friedenreich CM (2010) The role of physical activity in breast cancer etiology. Semin Oncol 37:297–302PubMedCrossRef
42.
Manson JE, Greenland P, LaCroix AZ et al (2002) Walking compared with vigorous exercise for the prevention of cardiovascular events in women. N Engl J Med 347:716–725PubMedCrossRef
43.
Brown WJ, Burton NW, Rowan PJ (2007) Updating the evidence on physical activity and health in women. Am J Prev Med 33:404–411PubMedCrossRef
44.
Rinaldi S, Dechaud H, Biessy C et al (2001) Reliability and validity of commercially available, direct radioimmunoassays for measurement of blood androgens and estrogens in postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 10:757–765PubMed
45.
Rinaldi S, Geay A, Dechaud H et al (2002) Validity of free testosterone and free estradiol determinations in serum samples from postmenopausal women by theoretical calculations. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 11:1065–1071PubMed
46.
Greene JW (1993) Exercise-induced menstrual irregularities. Compr Ther 19:116–120PubMed
47.
Smith AJ, Phipps WR, Arikawa AY et al (2011) Effects of aerobic exercise on premenopausal sex hormone levels: results of the WISER study, a randomized clinical trial in healthy, sedentary, eumenorrheic women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 20:1098–1106PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
48.
Nagata C, Kaneda N, Kabuto M, Shimizu H (1997) Factors associated with serum levels of estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin among premenopausal Japanese women. Environ Health Perspect 105:994–997PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
49.
De Souza MJ, Toombs RJ, Scheid JL, O’Donnell E, West SL, Williams NI (2010) High prevalence of subtle and severe menstrual disturbances in exercising women: confirmation using daily hormone measures. Hum Reprod 25:491–503PubMedCrossRef
50.
Yanovski JA, Yanovski SZ, Boyle AJ et al (2000) Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity during exercise in African American and Caucasian women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 85:2660–2663PubMedCrossRef
51.
Toniolo P, Koenig KL, Pasternack BS et al (1994) Reliability of measurements of total, protein-bound, and unbound estradiol in serum. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 3:47–50PubMed
52.
Muti P, Trevisan M, Micheli A et al (1996) Reliability of serum hormones in premenopausal and postmenopausal women over a one-year period. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 5:917–922PubMed
53.
Michaud DS, Manson JE, Spiegelman D et al (1999) Reproducibility of plasma and urinary sex hormone levels in premenopausal women over a one-year period. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 8:1059–1064PubMed
54.
Dossus L, Kaaks R (2008) Nutrition, metabolic factors and cancer risk. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab 22:551–571PubMedCrossRef
55.
Gibney J, Healy ML, Sonksen PH (2007) The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor-I axis in exercise and sport. Endocr Rev 28:603–624PubMedCrossRef
56.
Landin-Wilhelmsen K, Wilhelmsen L, Lappas G et al (1994) Serum insulin-like growth factor I in a random population sample of men and women: relation to age, sex, smoking habits, coffee consumption and physical activity, blood pressure and concentrations of plasma lipids, fibrinogen, parathyroid hormone and osteocalcin. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 41:351–357CrossRef
57.
Monninkhof EM, Velthuis MJ, Peeters PH, Twisk JW, Schuit AJ (2009) Effect of exercise on postmenopausal sex hormone levels and role of body fat: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Oncol 27:4492–4499PubMedCrossRef
58.
Friedenreich CM, Neilson HK, Woolcott CG et al (2011) Changes in insulin resistance indicators, IGFs, and adipokines in a year-long trial of aerobic exercise in postmenopausal women. Endocr Relat Cancer 18:357–369PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
59.
Friedenreich CM, Cust AE (2008) Physical activity and breast cancer risk: impact of timing, type and dose of activity and population subgroup effects. Br J Sports Med 42:636–647PubMedCrossRef
60.
Friedenreich CM, Neilson HK, Woolcott CG et al (2011) Mediators and moderators of the effects of a year-long exercise intervention on endogenous sex hormones in postmenopausal women. Cancer Causes Control 22:1365–1373PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef
61.
Lukanova A, Zeleniuch-Jacquotte A, Lundin E et al (2004) Prediagnostic levels of C-peptide, IGF-I, IGFBP-1, -2 and -3 and risk of endometrial cancer. Int J Cancer 108:262–268PubMedCrossRef
62.
Pols MA, Peeters PH, Kemper HC, Collette HJ (1996) Repeatability and relative validity of two physical activity questionnaires in elderly women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 28:1020–1025PubMedCrossRef
63.
Pols MA, Peeters PH, Ocke MC, Slimani N, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Collette HJ (1997) Estimation of reproducibility and relative validity of the questions included in the EPIC Physical Activity Questionnaire. Int J Epidemiol 26(Suppl 1):S181–S189PubMedCrossRef
64.
InterAct Consortium (2012) Validity of a short questionnaire to assess physical activity in 10 European countries. Eur J Epidemiol 27:15–25CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Physical activity, sex steroid, and growth factor concentrations in pre- and post-menopausal women: a cross-sectional study within the EPIC cohort
Authors
S. Rinaldi
R. Kaaks
C. M. Friedenreich
T. J. Key
R. Travis
C. Biessy
N. Slimani
K. Overvad
J. N. Østergaard
A. Tjønneland
A. Olsen
S. Mesrine
A. Fournier
L. Dossus
A. Lukanova
T. Johnson
H. Boeing
M. Vigl
A. Trichopoulou
V. Benetou
D. Trichopoulos
G. Masala
V. Krogh
R. Tumino
F. Ricceri
S. Panico
H. B. Bueno-de-Mesquita
E. M. Monninkhof
A. M. May
E. Weiderpass
J. R. Quirós
N. Travier
E. Molina-Montes
P. Amiano
J. M. Huerta
E. Ardanaz
M. Sund
M. Johansson
K. T. Khaw
N. Wareham
A. Scalbert
M. J. Gunter
E. Riboli
I. Romieu
Publication date
01-01-2014
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Cancer Causes & Control / Issue 1/2014
Print ISSN: 0957-5243
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7225
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-013-0314-x

Other articles of this Issue 1/2014

Cancer Causes & Control 1/2014 Go to the issue

Original Paper

CXCR4 pathway associated with family history of melanoma

Original paper

Circadian pathway genes in relation to glioma risk and outcome

Original paper

Trends in smoking in Canada from 1950 to 2011: progression of the tobacco epidemic according to socioeconomic status and geography

Original paper

Cancer mortality and quantitative oil production in the Amazon region of Ecuador, 1990–2010

Original paper

Tobacco smoking, NBS1 polymorphisms, and survival in lung and upper aerodigestive tract cancers with semi-Bayes adjustment for hazard ratio variation

Original Paper

Alcohol consumption and risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer in the Women’s Health Initiative
Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras
Prof. Fabrice Barlesi
Developed by: Springer Medicine
Image Credits