Structured Exercise Boosts Colon Cancer Survival Rates

Updated⁤ June‍ 09, 2025
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A new study reveals that a structured exercise program can considerably improve survival‍ rates‍ for patients with stage III or⁢ high-risk stage II‍ colon ⁤cancer following adjuvant chemotherapy. The research, presented at the 2025 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlights the benefits of⁤ physical activity in combating this disease.

The Canadian Cancer Trials Group⁢ (CCTG) conducted the randomized, phase 3 CO.21 ‍Colon ‍health and Lifelong Exercise Change (CHALLENGE) trial to investigate the impact of ⁤exercise on cancer outcomes. Dr. Christopher⁣ Booth, ⁤director of ⁣the division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology at Queen’s University Cancer Research⁣ Institute, emphasized that this was ‍the first randomized controlled⁢ trial ⁤to specifically examine whether exercise could enhance cancer survival.

The trial involved 889 patients ‍with resected⁤ colon cancer who had completed adjuvant therapy across 55 sites in six⁤ countries between 2009 and 2024. Participants ⁤were divided into two groups: one engaging in a structured exercise program (SEP), and the other receiving health education ‍materials ⁢(HEM). The SEP⁢ group participated in‍ a personalized exercise intervention over three ‍years, aiming to increase recreational physical activity. The health education group received written guidance on physical activity and ⁣nutrition.

The exercise ⁤programs were tailored to each ⁣patient’s preferences and lifestyle.⁣ “The physical activity consultant worked with patients to⁢ create an exercise⁣ prescription based on the activities and the lifestyle of that individual,” Booth said. Most patients chose walking, aiming for 45 ⁢to 60 minutes of brisk walking three to four times⁤ per week.

After a⁤ median follow-up of 7.9 years, the SEP group showed a significant reduction in disease recurrence or ⁣death. The five-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate was 80.3% in the SEP group compared to 73.9% in the HEM group. The eight-year overall survival (OS) rate was 90.3% for SEP versus 83.2% for HEM.

Participants in the structured exercise program also reported greater improvements in physical function. Objective fitness measures, such as‍ predicted maximum oxygen consumption ⁤and six-minute walk test distance, also improved.

“The CHALLENGE trial sets a new standard ⁣of care for the management of high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer,” Booth said. “Exercise ⁢is ‍no longer just ⁤an intervention ⁢that improves quality of life ⁣and fitness. It is a treatment that improves survival for colon cancer and should be made available to all⁤ patients.”

while adverse ‍events were slightly more common in the SEP group (82% vs. ⁤76.4% ⁣in the HEM group), most were musculoskeletal and attributed to the intervention.

what’s next

Booth suggests that health systems and providers should invest in ⁢behavior support programs to enable oncologists to refer patients to exercise specialists after chemotherapy.‍ He believes ⁢this intervention is empowering, achievable, and enduring for health systems, offering a cost-effective approach to improving colon cancer outcomes.