Exercise can reduce the risk of death in colon cancer patients by a third and is even more effective than drugs, according to the results of a trial.
In a first-of-its-kind trial involving patients from the US, UK, Australia, France, Canada and Israel, the results showed a reduction in cancer recurrences and improved survival linked to exercise.
Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half of them were randomly selected for an exercise program with a coach, and the other half were given booklets promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Also Read | New AI tool predicts which patients benefit most from prostate cancer drug
Those in the exercise group worked with a personal trainer twice a month for coaching sessions and supervised exercise sessions and later once a month for a total of three years. After eight years, the team found that patients who started a structured exercise plan had a 37% lower risk of death and a 28% lower risk of cancer recurrence than those who got only health advice.
“The findings suggest that oncologists should consider recommending a structured exercise programme after surgery to improve people’s chances of survival,” Prof Charles Swanton, the chief clinician of Cancer Research UK, which funded the UK arm of the study, said.
Scientists are already investigating whether similar exercise regimes could improve survival for people with other diseases, such as breast cancer.
