New York

Higher levels of physical activity may not only reduce the risk of cancer but also improve survival rates for those who have undergone treatment.

Researchers from Louisiana State University in the US studied long-term survival in colon cancer survivors, a group known to experience higher rates of premature mortality compared to the general population.

The team analysed data from two post-treatment trials involving patients with stage 3 colon cancer. A total of 2,875 patients self-reported their physical activity after surgery and chemotherapy.

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal CANCER, found that participants who engaged in less than 3 MET-hours/week had a 17.1% lower three-year overall survival rate compared to the general population. In contrast, those with over 18 MET-hours/week showed only a 3.5% lower survival rate.

The second trial revealed similar trends, with participants engaging in more than 18 MET-hours/week having a 4.4% lower survival rate than the general population, while those with less than 3 MET-hours/week had a 10.8% lower rate.

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The researchers concluded that "higher levels of physical activity may lessen and even eliminate survival disparities." They further highlighted that cancer survivors who were tumour-free at three years and regularly exercised achieved better survival rates.

Lead author Justin C. Brown from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centre said, “This new information can help patients with colon cancer understand how factors that they can control — their physical activity levels — can have a meaningful impact on their long-term prognosis."