A new international study has found that regular exercise can reduce the risk of death in colon cancer patients by up to 37%.
The research, led by Professor Vicky Coyle from Queen’s University Belfast, followed 889 colon cancer patients over several years. Half of the patients joined a guided exercise programme, while the rest received only health advice through leaflets.
The programme began shortly after chemotherapy and encouraged participants to do three to four sessions of brisk walking or similar activities like swimming or dancing each week, each session lasting 45-60 minutes. Weekly face-to-face coaching was offered for the first six months, later reduced to monthly sessions.
After five years, 80% of the people in the exercise group remained cancer-free, compared to 74% in the other group. After eight years, only 10% of the exercise group had died, compared to 17% of those who didn’t follow the programme. This means a 28% lower risk of cancer returning and a 37% lower risk of death.
Scientists are still researching why exercise helps, but believe it may affect hormones, reduce inflammation, and improve the immune system.
Experts say this could change the way colon cancer is treated. Some believe similar programmes might help patients with other types of cancer too.
Colon cancer (also known as bowel or colorectal cancer) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) data:
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Colon cancer is the third most common cancer globally.
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In 2022, there were around 1.9 million new cases of colorectal cancer worldwide.
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It is also the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with around 930,000 deaths each year.
