cancer patients. A study published in the *New England Journal of Medicine* indicates that patients who engaged in a structured exercise program following adjuvant chemotherapy demonstrated a 28% reduction in cancer recurrence and a 37% decrease in overall mortality after an eight-year period . This compelling evidence suggests that physical activity may play a crucial role not only in enhancing the quality of life but also in prolonging survival for individuals diagnosed with colon cancer.
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 exercise coaching a new standard of care for colon cancer survivors. Until then, patients can increase their physical activity after treatment, knowing they are doing their part to prevent cancer from coming back.
“It’s an extremely exciting study,” said Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who wasn’t involved in the research. It’s the first randomized controlled trial to show a reduction in cancer recurrences and improved survival linked to exercise, Meyerhardt said.
Those in the exercise group worked with a personal trainer twice a month for coaching sessions and supervised exercise sessions, and later once a month, for a total of three years.
The exercise group were coached and supported to help them achieve set exercise goals. Their weekly target was the equivalent of three to four walks of between 45 and 60 minutes, but patients could choose how they got more active. Some went kayaking or skiing, for instance.
After five years, patients in the exercise group had a 28% lower risk of recurrent or new cancers than those in the other group. After eight years, the same patients also had a 37% lower risk of dying than those just handed the healthy lifestyle booklet.
Courneya et al. emphasize that regular physical activity could rival some pharmacological interventions typically prescribed for this demographic. As such, healthcare providers are encouraged to promote structured exercise regimes as part of comprehensive oncological treatment strategies, reinforcing the notion that lifestyle modifications can significantly influence clinical outcomes.
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