Mechanisms of exercise in the treatment of lung cancer - a mini-review

Sep 24, 2026

Lung cancer poses a serious threat to global health, with rising incidence and mortality and limited effectiveness of early detection and advanced-stage therapies. Although research suggests exercise can prevent and support lung cancer treatment, the coordinated biological mechanisms remain unclear. This mini-review examines how exercise exerts anticancer effects in lung cancer, emphasizing tumor microenvironment changes, matrix regulation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis, and concludes with future research and potential clinical applications.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages10

Reading Time25 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Exercise and cancer prevention

Exercise in lung cancer therapy

Biological mechanisms of exercise in lung cancer

Tumor microenvironment

Matrix regulation

Apoptosis

Angiogenesis

Future directions and clinical applications

TYPE Mini Review PUBLISHED 24 August 2023 DOI 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244764 OPEN ACCESS EDITED BY Qun Xue, Afﬁliated Hospital of Nantong University, China REVIEWED BY Yiheng Ye, Wenzhou Medical University, China Yan Zhang, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, China *CORRESPONDENCE Shiyi Chen [shiyichen_huashan@163.com](shiyichen_huashan@163.com)[ ](shiyichen_huashan@163.com)Xiliang Shang [sxl00720@163.com](sxl00720@163.com)[ ](sxl00720@163.com)Qing Wang [Doctorwq1983@163.com](Doctorwq1983@163.com) †These authors contributed equally to this work and share the ﬁrst authorship RECEIVED 23 June 2023 ACCEPTED 07 August 2023 PUBLISHED 24 August 2023 CITATION Luo Z, Wan R, Liu S, Feng X, Peng Z, Wang Q, Chen S and Shang X (2023) Mechanisms of exercise in the treatment of lung cancer – a mini-review. Front. Immunol. 14:1244764 . doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1244764 COPYRIGHT © 2023 Luo, Wan, Liu, Feng, Peng, Wang, Chen and Shang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Mechanisms of exercise in the treatment of lung cancer – a mini-review Zhiwen Luo 1†, Renwen Wan 1†, Shan Liu 2†, Xinting Feng 1, Zhen Peng 3, Qing Wang4*, Shiyi Chen 1* and Xiliang Shang 1* 1 Department of Sports Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 2 Department of Endocrinology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, 3 Department of Sports Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China, 4 Department of Orthopaedics, Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunshan, Jiangsu, China Lung cancer constitutes a formidable menace to global health and well-being, as its incidence and mortality rate escalate at an alarming pace. In recent years, research has indicated that exercise has potential roles in both the prevention and treatment of lung cancer . However, the exact mechanism of the coordinating effect of exercise on lung cancer treatment is unclear, limiting the use of exercise in clinical practice. The purpose of this review is to explore the mechanisms through which exercise exerts its anticancer effects against lung cancer. This review will analyze the biological basis of exercise ’s anticancer effects on lung cancer, with a focus on aspects such as the tumor microenvironment, matrix regulation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. Finally, we will discuss future research directions and potential clinical applications. KEYWORDS lung cancer, exercise, prevention, treatment, anticancer mechanisms, tumor microenvironment Introduction Lung cancer constitutes a formidable menace to global health and well-being, as its incidence and mortality rates escalate at an alarming pace (1) . According to the worldwide cancer data of 2020, lung cancer ranks among the most prevalent malignancies and exhibits the highest mortality rate among all major cancers (2, 3) . Annually, more than 2.1 million new cases of lung cancer and approximately 1.8 million deaths are recorded (2) . Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most prevalent subtype of lung cancer, accounting for approximately 80% of newly diagnosed cases (4) . The 5-year survival rate for this malignancy is a mere 15%, attributable in part to the inadequacy of early detection techniques and the absence of effective treatments for advanced disease (1 , 4) . Approximately ﬁfty percent of non-small cell lung malignancies contain mutations in the tumor suppressor gene p53, which plays a key role in numerous biological pathways, including DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, senescence, autophagy, and metaboli

FAQs

What is the main purpose of this mini-review?

To explore the mechanisms through which exercise exerts anticancer effects against lung cancer and to analyze the biological basis of those effects. It also outlines future research directions and potential clinical applications.

Which lung cancer outcomes does the review relate to exercise?

It links exercise to both prevention and treatment, and highlights potential roles in reducing cancer risk and supporting quality of life during challenging cancer therapies.

What key biological aspects of exercise-related anticancer effects are discussed?

The review focuses on the tumor microenvironment, matrix regulation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis as central areas explaining exercise’s anticancer mechanisms in lung cancer.

Sep 24, 2026

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