Exercise improved mortality in men with a history of nonmetastatic colorectal cancer

Increased physical activity was associated with reduced risk for disease-specific and overall mortality in men with a history of nonmetastatic colorectal cancer.

Physical activity is known to help prevent the development of colon cancer, but few studies have examined its effect on survivors of colon cancer, according to researchers.

In this study, the researchers interpreted findings from questionnaires given to 668 men with a history of stage I, II or III nonmetastatic colon cancer. Metabolic equivalent task (MET) scores were assigned to each physical activity.

There were 258 deaths with 88 classified as colorectal cancer-specific deaths. Increased physical activity significantly improved colorectal cancer-specific mortality (P=.002) and overall mortality (P<.001).

Men who had more than 27 MET hours per week had a HR of 0.47 (95% CI, 0.24-0.92) for colorectal cancer-specific mortality and an HR of 0.59 (95% CI, 0.41-0.86) for overall mortality, when compared with men who had less than three MET hours per week.

When researchers restricted analysis to exclude men who developed cancer recurrence or died within 12 months, the HR was 0.46 (95% CI, 0.23-0.95) for disease-specific mortality and 0.59 (95% CI, 0.40-0.87) for overall mortality.

Associations remained the same after accounting for age, disease stage, BMI, tumor location and diagnosis year.

“These results provide further support that physical activity after colorectal cancer diagnosis may lower the risk for death from that disease; a randomized study among high-risk stage II and stage III colon cancer survivors that will compare the use of general education materials with a program that includes supervised physical activity sessions and behavioral support delivered over three years will soon open,” the researchers wrote.

Meyerhardt JA. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169:2102-2108.