The Simple Habit Adding Years to Life for Colon Cancer Survivors.
“Walking is man’s best medicine.”
Hippocrates declared over two millennia ago.
As a radiation oncologist in Seattle, I spend my days utilizing advanced technologies to fight cancer.
Yet, the simple wisdom in that ancient observation continues to echo.
Perhaps never more profoundly than when we look at life after cancer treatment.
I know that surviving stage 3 colon cancer is a formidable challenge.
Many patients and their families bravely navigate surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, often facing a difficult recovery.
Historically, even after successful treatment, these survivors have faced a stark reality: lower long-term survival rates compared to individuals of the same age and sex in the general population.
We in the oncology community have long worked to overcome this disparity.
Closing the Gap
But what if we learned that one of the most potent tools for closing that survival gap wasn’t a high-tech scanner or a complex drug regimen but something as fundamental as movement?
Exciting new research, including compelling findings from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, illuminates the following:
Regular physical activity after treatment doesn’t just help—it can dramatically reduce, and potentially eliminate, the difference in survival rates for these patients.
Study Details — The Simple Habit Adding Years to Life for Colon Cancer Survivors
Previous research hinted that more active colon cancer patients live longer after treatment.
This study investigated further using data from 2,875 stage 3 colon cancer patients across two major National Cancer Institute trials.
Following surgery and chemotherapy, these patients voluntarily reported their physical activity levels.
The researchers tracked their survival for about six years (median).
They measured activity in MET hours per week; for reference, walking about an hour most days equals approximately 18 MET hours.
Results — The Simple Habit Adding Years to Life for Colon Cancer Survivors
When researchers combined the data from both studies and specifically looked at survivors who had not had their cancer come back by year three, the results were even more remarkable:
- The very inactive group still had slightly lower survival over the next three years than the general population (about 3% lower).
- However, the most active group (those getting 18+ MET-hours/week) had slightly better survival over the next three years than the general population comparison group (about 3% higher).
My Take — The Simple Habit Adding Years to Life for Colon Cancer Survivors
Here are some of my thoughts about the study.
Study Weaknesses
- Correlation, Not Necessarily Causation: It’s important to remember that this study observed links; it doesn’t definitively prove that exercise causes longer survival. Healthier people may be more able to exercise, rather than the exercise being the sole reason for their better survival (like a “chicken or egg” situation).
- Who Was Studied: The patients in this analysis were already participating in major clinical trials. People who join trials might be different from the average cancer patient—perhaps having fewer other health problems—which could make these results look a bit more positive than they might be for the entire population of colon cancer survivors.
- How Researchers Measured Exercise: Patients reported their physical activity using a questionnaire. While it’s a standard tool, people might not always remember, and it didn’t capture every possible type of physical activity (like activity at work).
- Missing Data: Information on race and ethnicity wasn’t available for everyone. This lack of data limited the researchers’ ability to fully account for potential racial or ethnic differences when comparing survivor outcomes to the general population. (They did match based on age, sex, and year, which are major factors.)
Study Strengths
- Unique Data: It’s quite rare for large cancer studies like this to include detailed information about patients’ physical activity levels.
- Large Scale & Long Term: Combining data from two big trials allowed follow-up on many patients over 20 years.
- Looking Deeper: The large population allowed for an analysis of how exercise impacted survival differently by cancer control status.
The Bottom Line
Being physically active reduced the survival gap between those with Stage 3 colon cancer and the general population.
However, achieving survival rates similar to people without cancer depended on the cancer not coming back.
I am encouraged. Certain active cancer survivors can achieve long-term survival very close to that of their peers who have never had cancer.
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