Participation at the inaugural ISEO 2026 (International Society of Exercise Oncology) conference in Heidelberg (Germany), 22/23/07-2026:
Dr. Stephanie Otto (PhD) and colleagues from Ulm University Hospital, the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU), the Technical University Munich, and international partners presented three abstracts at the ISEO (International Society of Exercise Oncology) Conference 2026 in Heidelberg, alongside a new peer-reviewed publication in Frontiers in Oncology.
Conference Contributions
Three linked abstracts advanced a common research theme: the emerging role of fascia and the nervous system as an overlooked regulatory layer in exercise oncology.
- Abstract 247 – “Beyond Muscle: Neuro-Fascial Health as a Missing Piece in Exercise Oncology” (Otto, Bartsch, Jarczok, Klingler): a structured narrative review of ~80 studies (2006 – January 2026) across PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science, appraised via GRADE, AMSTAR-2, and Newcastle-Ottawa criteria, showing that fascial stiffness alters immune trafficking and tumor progression, that cancer treatment induces fascial fibrosis, and that elastography holds promise as a stiffness biomarker.
- Abstract 248 – “Assessment Methods for Fascial Connective Tissue” (Klingler, Bartsch, Jarczok, Otto): a comparative evaluation of the most common fascial assessment techniques, concluding that combining methods allows better differentiation between reversible and fixed tissue alterations, informing individualized exercise-oncology strategies.
- Abstract 249 – “On the Neuro-Fascial Interface: Vagal Tone in Exercise Oncology” (Jarczok, Thayer, Aguilar-Raab, Weimer, Otto): building on the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM), this theoretical synthesis proposes that vagal withdrawal impairs the Cholinergic Anti-inflammatory Pathway, driving pro-inflammatory fascial changes linked to Cancer-Related Fatigue, and that pro-vagal, multimodal interventions (movement, breathing, metabolic control) could support patients across the cancer continuum.
New Publication in Frontiers in Oncology
The conference contributions build directly on a newly accepted review, “Physical activity and the Neuro-Immuno-Fascial interface in cancer patients: mechanisms, clinical evidence, and therapeutic integration” (Otto, Ngo-Huang, Klingler, 2026, Front. Oncol. 16:1894580).
The paper introduces the Neuro-Immuno-Fascial (NIF) interface as a conceptual framework explaining how exercise-induced mechanical loading may activate Piezo1/YAP–TGFβ1 mechanotransduction in cancer-associated fibroblasts, modulate immune-cell trafficking, and improve autonomic balance (20–50% gains in heart rate variability). It references landmark trial data, including the CCTG CO.21 CHALLENGE trial, which showed that structured post-adjuvant exercise reduced disease recurrence by 28% and mortality by 37% in stage II–III colon cancer survivors – an effect size comparable to adjuvant chemotherapy. The review proposes three translational priorities: standardized fascial and autonomic phenotyping (shear-wave elastography, HRV spectral analysis), tumor-microenvironment-specific exercise dosing algorithms, and prospective trials combining aerobic/resistance training with myofascial interventions and immune checkpoint inhibition.
Significance for EHFF
Together, these contributions position fascia and autonomic (vagal) regulation as a novel, measurable link between physical activity and cancer outcomes – moving exercise oncology beyond muscle-centric models toward a systemic, mechanistic understanding relevant to future prehabilitation, treatment, and survivorship care pathways.