Introduction to Colon Cancer Survival
A three-year exercise program improved survival in colon cancer patients and kept disease at bay, a first-of-its-kind international experiment showed.
With the benefits rivaling some drugs, experts said cancer centers and insurance plans should consider making it a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors.
“This is about as high a quality of evidence as you can get,” said Dr. Julie Gralow, chief medical officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. “I love this study because it’s something I’ve been promoting but with less strong evidence for a long time.”
Colon cancer patients put on an exercise program across five countries had improved survival rates and less spread of cancer. Ahmet Aglamaz – stock.adobe.com
The Study
Prior evidence was based on comparing active people with sedentary people, a type of study that can’t prove cause and effect.
The new study — conducted in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel and the United States — compared people who were randomly selected for an exercise program with those who instead received an educational booklet.
The findings were featured Sunday at ASCO’s annual meeting in Chicago and published by the New England Journal of Medicine. Academic research groups in Canada, Australia and the U.K. funded the work.
Methodology
Researchers followed 889 patients with treatable colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Half were given information promoting fitness and nutrition. The others worked with a coach, meeting every two weeks for a year, then monthly for the next two years.
Coaches helped participants find ways to increase their physical activity. Many people, including Terri Swain-Collins, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week.
Terri Swain-Collins, who participated, chose to walk for about 45 minutes several times a week. AP
Results
After eight years, the people in the structured exercise program not only became more active than those in the control group but also had 28% fewer cancers and 37% fewer deaths from any cause. There were more muscle strains and other similar problems in the exercise group.
“When we saw the results, we were just astounded,” said study co-author Dr. Christopher Booth, a cancer doctor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ontario.
Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient, Booth said, “a remarkably affordable intervention that will make people feel better, have fewer cancer recurrences and help them live longer.”
Future Research
Researchers collected blood from participants and will look for clues tying exercise to cancer prevention, whether through insulin processing or building up the immune system or something else.
Swain-Collins’ coaching program ended, but she is still exercising. She listens to music while she walks in the countryside near her home.
That kind of behavior change can be achieved when people believe in the benefits, when they find ways to make it fun and when there’s a social component, said paper co-author Kerry Courneya, who studies exercise and cancer at the University of Alberta. The new evidence will give cancer patients a reason to stay motivated.
“Now we can say definitively exercise causes improvements in survival,” Courneya said.
Conclusion
The study provides strong evidence that exercise programs can improve survival rates and reduce the spread of cancer in colon cancer patients. With its affordability and effectiveness, it is an intervention that cancer centers and insurance plans should consider making a standard of care. As research continues to uncover the mechanisms behind exercise and cancer prevention, it is clear that exercise is a valuable tool in the fight against colon cancer.
FAQs
Q: What was the duration of the exercise program in the study?
A: The exercise program lasted for three years.
Q: How many countries participated in the study?
A: The study was conducted in five countries: Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, and the United States.
Q: What was the control group given in the study?
A: The control group received an educational booklet promoting fitness and nutrition.
Q: What was the result of the study in terms of cancer recurrence?
A: The people in the structured exercise program had 28% fewer cancers.
Q: How much does an exercise program cost per patient?
A: Exercise programs can be offered for several thousand dollars per patient.
