Judith Lacey, Head of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, shared a post on LinkedIn about a paper she co-authored with colleagues published in Supportive Care in Cancer:
“Pleased to share our latest publication of our research study – ‘Endocannabinoid system and mood responses to acute aerobic exercise in adult cancer patients versus healthy controls: a pilot study’ published in Supportive Care in Cancer (2025)
Can exercise influence the endocannabinoid system in cancer care?
A new pilot study by Birinder S. Cheema, Mitchell Low, Shelley Kay, Justine Stehn, Damian Hall, Abha Gourshettiwar, Sara Wahlroos, Michelle Harrison, and Judith Lacey explored how a single session of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise impacts endocannabinoid levels and mood in adults with cancer compared to matched healthy controls.
Key findings:
- Exercise significantly increased circulating endocannabinoids (AEA, 1-AG) and related mediators (OEA, PEA, SEA) in both groups.
- Cancer patients consistently showed lower baseline and post-exercise levels of AEA, OEA, and SEA, suggesting possible ECS dysfunction.
- Of 10 mood measures, only happiness improved post-exercise; 50% of participants reported experiencing a ‘runner’s high.’
- No direct link was found between biomarker changes and mood responses.
Study conducted at Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Camperdown, NSW.
Cancer patients were actively receiving chemotherapy and compared to age-, gender-, and BMI-matched healthy peers.
Why it matters:
This research highlights the potential role of exercise in modulating biological pathways linked to well-being in cancer patients.
More studies are needed to understand the clinical significance and optimize exercise prescriptions in oncology.”
Title: Endocannabinoid system and mood responses to acute aerobic exercise in adult cancer patients versus healthy controls: a pilot study
Authors: Birinder S. Cheema, Mitchell Low, Shelley Kay, Justine Stehn, Damian Hall, Abha Gourshettiwar, Sara Wahlroos, Michelle Harrison and Judith Lacey
You can read the full article in Supportive Care in Cancer.
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