A phase 3 randomized trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that a structured exercise program started soon after adjuvant chemotherapy for colon cancer significantly extended disease-free survival. The study, conducted at 55 centers, enrolled 889 patients with resected colon cancer who had completed chemotherapy. Participants were assigned either to a three-year structured exercise program or to health-education materials alone.
At a median follow-up of 7.9 years, disease-free survival was longer in the exercise group, with a hazard ratio of 0.72 (95% CI, 0.55 to 0.94; P=0.02). The 5-year disease-free survival was 80.3% in the exercise group compared with 73.9% in the health-education group, a difference of 6.4 percentage points.
Results also suggested longer overall survival in the exercise group, with a hazard ratio for death of 0.63. The 8-year overall survival was 90.3% in the exercise group versus 83.2% in the health-education group. The authors described the overall survival findings as consistent with, rather than definitive proof of, a benefit.
Musculoskeletal adverse events were more common in the exercise group, affecting 18.5% of patients compared with 11.5% in the health-education group. The authors concluded that the three-year program produced significantly longer disease-free survival, with findings consistent with longer overall survival. The study was funded by the Canadian Cancer Society and others.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing