Ejercicio físico, sistema inmune y composición corporal en pacientes con cáncer

The immune system is closely linked to the carcinogenic process, and it has been shown to respond to the effects of different varieties of exercise. Natural killer (NK) cells, as a part of the innate immune system, play a key role in the early stages of tumoral surveillance, as well as during treatment and recurrence risk. However, during oncological treatment, their role can be compromised by the adverse effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Given this fact, physical exercise emerges as a promising non-pharmacological strategy for enhancing the immune function and improving body composition parameters, which impacts NK cells. This relationship, however, is still under study. The present opinion paper discusses the existing evidence concerning the response of NK cells and its relationship to changes in body composition in patients that exercise on a regular basis.