Exercise May Benefit Colon Cancer Patients As Much As Drugs: NBC

Exercise may significantly reduce the risk of colon cancer recurrence in patients following treatment, according to a new study, Kaitlin Sullivan reported for NBC News.

The Phase 3 randomized controlled trial included nearly 900 patients across six countries.

The late-phase trial, published 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 patients who adhered to an exercise program after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy for Stage 3 or high-risk Stage 2 colon cancer saw a 28% reduction in the risk of recurrence, new cancer diagnoses, or death.

“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 across six countries.

The average age was 61, and about 90% of participants had Stage 3 colon cancer, which typically recurs in around 35% of patients within five years of treatment. Researchers tracked patients for about eight years, from 2009 through 2024, BBC News’s James Gallagher also reported.