However,
Exercise would significantly improve survival:
In a large -scale clinical study. Furthermore, we show that regular physical activity reduces the risk of recurrences and significantly improve the survival of people treated for colon cancer.
Standard management of stadium colon cancer III consists of surgery, followed by 3 to 6 months of chemotherapy. For example, This approach makes it possible to obtain a survival rate of 5 years, at around 70%. For example, There is therefore a significant proportion of patients who do not respond to these treatments. Additionally, For example, undergo in the months following a recurrence of cancer which compromises their probability of surviving the disease.
Clinical studies – Exercise would significantly improve survival
In several population studies. Similarly, it is suggested that the exercise could represent a complementary approach to current medical treatments and improve the survival of patients with colorectal cancer.
For example. However, it has been observed that exercise would significantly improve survival those who practice regular recreational activity after treatment present a lower risk of recurrence of cancer and death, including in people who suffered from advanced colon cancer (stage III).
This positive impact of the exercise on colorectal cancer survival has just been proven beyond doubt by the results of a randomized clinical trial. For example, carried out in collaboration by Canadian researchers (1).
This type of clinical trial is the reference to assess the effectiveness of an intervention (or a drug). Similarly, because the participants are randomly distributed between a control group and a group receiving the intervention, which minimizes the influence of external factors.
However. if randomized clinical trials are the standard for the evaluation of drugs, they are much more difficult to carry out to measure the impact of the lifestyle on cancer, as they require close monitoring of patients for several years to ensure their membership in exercise would significantly improve survival the intervention which is studied (in this case the exercise).
Note also that interventions on lifestyle. unlike drugs, are not marketable and it is very difficult to obtain the funds necessary to cover the high costs associated with this type of clinical trial. For all these reasons. carrying out a randomized clinical trial on the influence of lifestyle on cancer is a real tour de force.
Actively fight cancer
This study focused on 889 patients with stadium III colon cancer (or high -risk stage II). having benefited from standard surgery and chemotherapy. The researchers randomly distributed these patients between a control group (n = 444) which only received theoretical instructions promoting physical activity. a healthy diet, and a treatment group (n = 445) which, in addition to these instructions, also benefited from the practical support of a consultant in physical activity for three years in order to increase and maintain exercise would significantly improve survival the aerobic activity of patients.
Patients could choose several activities (bike. jogging, swimming), but most of them opted for a fast walk of 45 minutes four times a week.
The results are spectacular: after 5 years. 80% of patients in the exercise group were still in remission, without recurrence of the disease, compared to 74% of the control group. In the longer term (8 years). the survival rate of patients in the exercise group was 90% against 83% for the control group, which means in practice that for each 14 people, the exercise made it possible to avoid a death during this period.
This is an important positive effect. especially if we consider that patients in the control group have still been influenced by the teaching material made available to them and have also increased their level of exercise (increase by 50% against 100% for the intervention group).
It is exercise would significantly improve survival therefore very likely that the benefits associated with post-treatment exercise are even more considerable compared to patients who remain completely sedentary. without having been made aware of the benefits of the exercise.
(1) Courneya KS et coll. «Structured exercise after adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer». N. Engl. J. Med.published on 1is June 2025.
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