Exercise May Cut Risk of Colon Cancer's Return

Roman Bystrianyk · medicine forum Guru Joined: 02 May 2005 Posts: 454

http://www.healthsentinel.com/news.php?id=853&title=Exercise+May+Cut+Risk+of+Colon+Cancer%27s+Return&event=news_print_list_item

Charlene Laino, "Exercise May Cut Risk of Colon Cancer's Return", Web
MD, May 17, 2005,
Link: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/106/108059.htm

For the second time in as many days, new research suggests that
lifestyle changes can fend off new tumors in people who survive cancer
the first time around.

In the latest study, people treated for colon cancer were about half as
likely to die or have their tumors return if they participated in
regular, moderate-intensity physical activity as those who rarely
exercised.

Yesterday, other researchers reported that postmenopausal breast cancer
survivors who cut down on fats in their diet also cut the chance their
cancer would come back.

"Finally, we have a hint that lifestyle changes can make a difference
for people with cancer," says Douglas W. Blayney, MD, medical director
of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor.

After completing treatment, "almost every cancer patient asks if there
is something they can do to prevent a recurrence," says Blayney, who
was not involved with either study, "But up to now, we've had no
evidence that diet or exercise help."

The study was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society
of Clinical Oncology.

Physical Activity Benefits Colon Cancer Patients

The study included 832 people who were still alive one year after
undergoing surgery followed by chemotherapy to treat colon cancer.

"Right after you have chemo and part of your colon taken out, physical
activity is a little hard, so we looked at them a year later, when
they're presumably more stable," says researcher Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt,
MD, MPH, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

Participants were asked what type of exercise they did, how often they
exercised, and how hard they exercised.

After nearly two years, those who exercised the equivalent of
"moderate-paced" walking an hour a day, six days a week were 49% less
likely to have a recurrence or die, compared with those who rarely
exercised, he says.

A moderate pace is about 2-3 miles an hour, Meyerhardt tells WebMD.

Other types of physical activity count, too. "The same levels of health
benefit can be attained by jogging three times a week or playing tennis
three or four times a week, for example," he says.

Advice for Cancer Survivors

Previous studies have shown that physical activity can lower the risk
of ever developing colon cancer, but the new research is the first to
suggest a benefit for people who already have the disease, Meyerhardt
says.

J. Len Lichtenfeld, MD, deputy chief medical officer of the American
Cancer Society (ACS), agrees. He points out that the ACS already
recommends that adults get 45 minutes of moderate exercise five days a
week to prevent breast and colon cancer.

"This important finding, while needing confirmation, suggests that by
maintaining this level of activity after a diagnosis of colon cancer,
you can improve your outlook," he tells WebMD. That said, most people
with colon cancer are diagnosed in their late 60s, a time of life when
they're "not that active," he says.

While that doesn't diminish the value of the recommendation,
Lichtenfeld also tells people not to be scared off if it sounds like
too much.

"The important thing is to get out and do something," he says.

The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 105,000 Americans
will develop colon cancer this year; over 56,000 will die of the
disease.

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