Question 223 of 433
Can exercise really affect cancer?
The short answer
Yes. Active people get fewer cancers, and in 2025 a randomized trial showed that exercise after colon cancer treatment improved survival.
In that trial, called CHALLENGE, nearly 900 patients who had finished chemotherapy for colon cancer were assigned either to a three-year coached exercise program or to health education. The exercise group had 28 percent fewer recurrences or new cancers and 37 percent fewer deaths. That is a benefit on the scale of a chemotherapy drug, although exercise-related musculoskeletal adverse events also occurred.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
HUMAN TRIAL — Selected post-treatment colon-cancer patients: structured exercise improved disease-free and overall survival.Evidence grade (draft mapping)Grade pendingPart 16, Q223 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.