Exercise may benefit colon cancer patients as much as some drugs

Exercise may significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer returning in patients after treatment, a phase 3 clinical trial finds.

Exercise may significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer returning in patients after treatment, a new study has found.

The late-phase trial, published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, found that people who followed an exercise program after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for Stage 3 or high-risk Stage 2 colon cancer could reduce risk of the cancer returning, a new cancer diagnosis or death by 28%.

“We approve drugs that have the same and in some cases less of a benefit than this,” said Dr. Julie Gralow, ASCO’s chief medical officer.

The Phase 3 randomized controlled trial included nearly 900 patients in six countries. The average age was 61 and about 90% of the participants had Stage 3 colon cancer, which recurs in about 35% of patients within five years post-treatment. The researchers followed each patient for about eight years from 2009 through 2024.

After they finished surgery and chemotherapy, half of the participants were enrolled in an exercise program. The other half, the control group, was given a booklet encouraging them to exercise and eat well post-recovery.