A groundbreaking clinical trial funded by the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) shows that physical activity can significantly improve outcomes for people with colon cancer. Researchers say the study is the first in the world to use structured exercise to increase cancer survival.
The trial results, presented today at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual conference and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, have the potential to change clinical practice. They show that, when incorporated into cancer care for people with colon cancer, a structured exercise program reduces the risk of cancer recurrence and of new primary cancers developing.
The 17-year international trial involved 889 people, all of whom had been diagnosed with and treated for colon cancer. After having surgery and chemotherapy, participants were given a 3-year structured exercise program or standard health education materials that are currently given to patients. Each participant in the exercise program chose their own forms of moderate-intensity exercise – from walking to pickleball – with the goal of adding 2.5 hours of exercise per week to their regular activity schedule. The outcome: those who received the exercise program had a 28% lower risk of recurrence and new cancers and a 37% lower risk of death.
