Most research points to exercise being beneficial to prevent most types of cancer, including colon cancer. Does exercise help reduce the mortality of people who have had severe cases of colon cancer after surgery and chemotherapy? That was the question researchers in Canada asked, and they conducted the Colon Health and Lifelong Exercise Change (CHALLENGE) trial to test their hypothesis.

Researchers recruited subjects who met the criteria from 55 centers, mostly in Canada and Australia, but also included some in the U.K., U.S., and other countries; 889 subjects were selected for the three-year trial. All subjects were provided health education materials on exercise and nutrition. Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to the intervention group that was given exercise support in the form of mandatory exercise sessions and support from a certified exercise specialist. All subjects were tested every six months until the end of the trial.

The primary finding was that all subjects benefitted from the exercise program. The reduction in mortality over three years was about 17% for both groups. But was knowledge about exercise alone enough? I’ll let you know on Saturday.

In the meantime, are you due for a colonoscopy? Paula just had hers, and as always, the prep is worse than the procedure, but it feels so good to get that “all clear” verdict.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: N Engl J Med 2025;393:13-25. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2502760