Wow! It seems Like Exercise Can Prevent Cancer Deaths
This is stunningly positive news. While many of us are debating the nuances and evidence for lifestyle therapy in obesity, a clever group of cancer researchers have gone out and proven its value for extending life in people with colon cancer. A well-controlled clinical trial of personal coaching for exercise showed that it reduced cancer deaths by 37%. Preventing one death required the treatment of only 14 people.
Impressive.
An RCT in Colon Cancer
Kerry Courneya and colleagues published this randomized, controlled trial yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. They randomized 889 patients who had completed surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer to an exercise coaching program or a health education group.
In the exercise group, people received the same general education materials about physical activity that the control group received. But they also got an exercise guide book for colon cancer survivors and three years of support from a certified physical activity coach.
After a median follow-up of eight years, disease-free survival was significantly longer in the exercise group. Of course, the exercise group had more musculoskeletal adverse events – typically manageable and predictable for people taking up an exercise regimen. Ten percent of these events were judged to be related to the exercise intervention.
Wonderful News
“This is really wonderful news, particularly at a time when colon cancer rates are increasing among younger adults,” said professor Michelle Holmes, who studies lifestyle programs for improving cancer survival. She was not involved in the study.
Why is colon cancer rising in young adults? At least in part, it is because of the rising prevalence of obesity in youth. So while this study was not about obesity, it should be of interest to anyone who concerns themselves with the health effects of obesity. Cutting the rate of colon cancer deaths with exercise is simply good news any way you look at it.
Having a coach to meet with every two weeks was a core part of the program. One of the trial participants, Terri Swain-Collins, told the New York Times:
“I was like, I’m doing this because I can’t go see her and not have done this. If I hadn’t had that, I wouldn’t have done it.”
Though her program ended in February, she continues walking for 45 minutes three times a week.
“That’s just part of my routine now. It’s awesome,”
After feeling powerless over a cancer diagnosis this has given her a sense of control. This is indeed wonderful news.
Click here to read the study, here, here, and here to read more about it.
The Beautiful Result of a Healthy Lifestyle, photograph by Adaeze Obirieze, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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June 2, 2025
