Exercise can improve colon cancer survival

 

An exercise programme for colon cancer patients can cut the risk of dying by a third.

The researchers said it was "not a large amount" of exercise and any type of workout from swimming to salsa classes counted.

In this trial, the three-year exercise programme started soon after chemotherapy. The aim was to get the survey participants doing at least double the amount of exercise set out in the guidelines for the general population.

That could be three-to-four sessions of brisk walking a week, lasting 45-60 minutes, Prof Vicky Coyle from Queen's University Belfast said. 

Exercising besides can reduce fatigue, lift people's mood and boost their physical strength, it was found that 80% of respondents exercising remained cancer-free, meaning a 28% reduction in the risk of the cancer coming back, or a new one forming, after five years.

While eight years after the initial cancer treatment, 10% of respondents on the exercise programme died, compared with 17% in the group given only health advice, marking a 37% lower risk of death.

Exactly why exercise has this beneficial effect is unknown, but ideas include the impact on growth hormones, inflammation levels in the body and how the immune system functions - which patrols the body for cancer.

Dr Joe Henson, from the University of Leicester, said the results were "exciting".

He added: "We know that physical activity regulates several key biological processes that could explain these results, and further research will help us uncover why exercise is having such a positive impact."

In fact, scientists are already investigating whether similar exercise regimes could improve survival for people with other diseases, such as breast cancer.