Study: Exercise can significantly reduce colon cancer recurrence
On June 3, 2025, researchers shared results from a major study that could change how colon cancer is treated around the world. A large clinical trial from Canada has found that regular aerobic exercise, even something as simple as brisk walking, can cut the risk of colon cancer coming back by 28%. It also reduces deaths by a similar amount. These results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and are already making headlines among cancer experts.
The trial followed nearly 900 people who had already gone through surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer. The patients were randomly placed into two groups. One group received basic health education, while the other took part in a three-year exercise program. That program included regular coaching and supervision. It focused on getting people to move more, using any kind of aerobic activity they enjoyed—walking, jogging, swimming, or biking.
After eight years of follow-up, the differences were striking. The people in the exercise group had far fewer cases of their cancer coming back. They also had fewer new cancers and lower death rates. The researchers say that exercise gave benefits as strong as many standard cancer drugs—but without the side effects.
After just one year of regular exercise, patients already showed better outcomes. Over five years, 80.3% of the exercise group remained cancer-free. That compares to 73.9% in the group that only got health advice. That’s a 6.4 percentage point increase. When looking at overall survival—whether or not the person’s cancer returned—90.3% of the exercise group was still alive after eight years. In the health advice group, that number was 83.2%. That’s a 7.1 point difference.
In real numbers, 41 people in the exercise group died over the study period. That compares to 66 in the health education group. That’s a 37% lower risk of death from any cause, just by staying physically active.
The amount of exercise needed was not extreme. Most people walked briskly for 45 to 60 minutes, three or four times a week. Some preferred jogging for 25 to 30 minutes, a few times weekly. The target was to reach over 20 MET hours of activity per week. A MET, or Metabolic Equivalent of Task, is a way to measure how much energy your body uses. Brisk walking is about 4 METs, and jogging is about 10. So, someone could meet the weekly goal with about five hours of walking or two hours of jogging.
The study began with six months of supervised exercise to help people get into the routine. Even after the coaching ended, the exercise group kept moving more than the other group. By the end of the study, they were averaging more than 20 MET hours per week, while the health education group only averaged around 15.
Researchers say that even the education group improved their physical activity. At the start, they averaged only about 10 MET hours. This raises an interesting point—if the comparison had been made against a group that did no exercise at all, the benefits of physical activity might have looked even stronger.
Scientists still don’t fully understand why exercise has this effect on cancer. But they believe it may be due to several biological changes. Exercise may increase immune activity, reduce inflammation, and change how tumors grow or spread. It also improves insulin control and overall body health. These changes could stop cancer cells from growing or coming back.
The benefits weren’t limited to colon cancer either. The exercise group also had lower risks of other types of cancer, including breast, prostate, and other colorectal cancers. Experts not involved in the study are calling the results impressive.
“This shows that exercise has a similar effect to chemotherapy in some cases, which is truly amazing,” said Dr. Marco Gerlinger, a cancer expert from Queen Mary University in London. “Patients often ask what they can do to stop cancer from returning. Now, doctors can give a clear and science-backed answer.”
Another expert, Dr. David Sebag-Montefiore from the University of Leeds, called this a breakthrough. “I’ve worked in bowel cancer research for 30 years,” he said. “This is one of the most exciting improvements I’ve seen. Moderate exercise offers real benefits without the side effects we see in other treatments.”
In short, this study gives hope to thousands of colon cancer survivors. It shows that simple, regular movement—a walk in the park, a jog around the block—can make a real difference. And it proves once again that sometimes, the best medicine doesn’t come in a pill—it comes from lacing up your shoes and getting moving.
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