BACKGROUND: Increased physical activity is associated with a reduction in the risk of breast cancer; however, the exact mechanism of the reduction is not yet completely known. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of six months of aerobic exercise on the plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels as breast cancer risk factors in postmenopausal women. Patients and METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled trial. We randomly assigned 41 postmenopausal, sedentary women aged 50 to 74 to either an exercise or a control group. The intervention involved facility-based aerobic exercise (three days/week, at 70 to 80% of the maximum heart rate, for six months). RESULTS: Twenty-seven women completed the study. The plasma IL-6 level decreased by 21.3% in the exercisers and by 6.9% in the controls, and the intervention effect was significant (p = 0.001). The plasma TNF-alpha level decreased by 17.1% and 10.8% in the exercisers and controls, respectively, although the effect of exercise was not statistically significant (p = 0.28). Overall, long-term aerobic exercise may result in a decreased IL-6 concentration. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that regular aerobic exercise can favorably alter the inflammatory profile, which is a known risk factor in breast cancer development, in postmenopausal women.

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