Exercise could help colon cancer patients just as much as some prescription drugs
Colorectal cancer is the second-deadliest form of cancer in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). However, a new study shows regular exercise could play a role in possibly changing that.
Colorectal cancer in the U.S.
Unbiased. Straight Facts.TM
In 2025, an estimated more than 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Nearly 53,000 will die from it.
The American Cancer Society estimates about 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with colorectal cancer this year. At least a third of those patients are expected to die from the disease.
Experts said that while diagnoses of colorectal cancer overall have been on the decline for decades, an increasing number of young adults are now getting the disease. An ACS study published in 2020 found half of all new colorectal cancer diagnoses are in people 66 and younger.
Colorectal cancer is estimated to become the leading cause of cancer-related deaths for younger adults ages 20 to 49 in the United States by 2030.
How can regular exercise help?
A new study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) followed 889 colon cancer patients who had completed chemotherapy.
After treatment, half were given an informational booklet encouraging them to adopt a healthy diet and exercise, while the other half got the booklet and were matched with an exercise consultant for three years.
The study found those who had a consultant were 28% less likely to see a recurrence of colorectal cancer or develop new cancer. They also had a five-year disease-free survival rate of 80%, compared to 74% for those who were only given the informational booklet.
“We approve drugs that have the same and, in some cases, less of a benefit than this,” Dr. Julie Gralow, ASCO’s chief medical officer, said.
Researchers said they are still working to understand why exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer, but it could have something to do with the ways exercise helps reduce inflammation in the body.
Which exercises lower the risk?
While the study didn’t focus on one specific exercise program, each patient’s regimen was tailored to them.
However, they did create the individual programs by using some guidelines anyone can put in place.
The overall goal was to increase patients’ exercise to a certain amount each week, starting from their current level, by using the metabolic equivalent of a task (METs). It measures how much energy the body uses to perform a task, whether it be sitting on the couch or running a marathon.
The program aimed for a weekly increase of 10 MET hours. MET hours were determined by the intensity and duration of a workout. For example, one hour of brisk walking equals about 4 MET hours.
“What it translated to for most people is going on a brisk walk 45 minutes a day, four days per week,” Dr. Christopher Booth, a professor of oncology with Queen’s University and co-author of the new study, said.
People who did not participate in the exercise program got between 5.2 and 7.4 fewer MET hours (1.5 to 2.25 hours of brisk walking) of exercise per week.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
