Impact of resistance training on inflammatory biomarkers and associations with treatment outcomes in colon cancer

Cancer. 2025 May 1;131(9):e35865. doi: 10.1002/cncr.35865.

Abstract

Introduction: Among patients with colon cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy, the impact of resistance training with supplemental dietary protein on inflammatory changes during treatment, whether baseline or changes in inflammatory markers are associated with relative dose intensity (RDI), and the associations of inflammation with body composition were investigated.

Methods: A multicenter randomized clinical trial of 174 patients with colon cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy assigned to a home-based resistance training program or usual care was conducted. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-II, and growth differentiation factor-15 levels were assessed preintervention and following chemotherapy completion. Baseline body composition was evaluated via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Multivariate analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Results: Patients randomized to resistance training versus usual care experienced similar changes in all inflammatory markers. Those in the highest versus lowest tertile of baseline hsCRP were more likely to have received RDI >70% (odds ratio, 4.11; 95% CI, 1.29-13.1); however, changes across any of the inflammatory markers were not associated with RDI. Patients in the highest versus lowest tertiles of hsCRP, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-II were more likely to have higher baseline body mass index, total lean mass, and total fat mass.

Conclusion: Inflammatory markers in patients with colon cancer undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy were not significantly impacted by randomization to a resistance training program but were associated with baseline body composition measures. Further investigations are needed to better elucidate the potential role of inflammatory markers and body composition in predicting important treatment outcomes.

Clinicaltrials: GOV: NCT03291951.

Keywords: body composition; inflammatory biomarker; relative dose intensity; resistance training.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Body Composition
  • C-Reactive Protein / metabolism
  • Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
  • Colonic Neoplasms* / blood
  • Colonic Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Colonic Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inflammation* / blood
  • Interleukin-6 / blood
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II / blood
  • Resistance Training*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • C-Reactive Protein
  • Interleukin-6
  • Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor, Type II
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Biomarkers

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03291951