Another study extolling the benefits of exercise for patients with a history of cancer was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in early June. This study was a randomized controlled trial. Most publications about lifestyle are observational, based on what patients said they were doing in the past. Randomized controlled trials are not always feasible, but they eliminate a lot of variables that allow people to quibble about the results.

    In this study, patients who had completed surgery and chemotherapy for localized, high-risk colon cancer were randomly placed into two groups. One group received educational materials describing the benefits of good nutrition and exercise. The other group, in addition to the educational materials, participated in behavioral-support sessions and supervised exercise sessions to encourage them to increase their physical activity.

    The investigators found that patients in the exercise group were less likely to develop recurrent colon cancer, and were probably living longer overall.

    The only side effect of exercise was that 18% of the patients in the exercise group had “musculoskeletal adverse events,” compared with 11% in the control group. Consulting with a physical therapist or qualified personal trainer would be wise.

    To learn more about the exercise intervention, you can read the details of the study design at ClinicalTrials.gov.