Exercise Versus Medication in Cancer Remission: What the Latest Science Really Says
Recent headlines touting that “exercise is better than drugs” for cancer remission have captured the public’s imagination, sparking debate between proponents of “natural” interventions and advocates of traditional medicine. However, analysis of the latest landmark research reveals the reality is more nuanced than the catchy titles suggest – and the implications for cancer patients, including those in Thailand, could be profound if correctly understood and applied.
At the source of the recent media buzz is a major study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, focusing on patients recovering from colon cancer, the world’s third-most common cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related death. Conducted between 2009 and 2024 across six countries, including Australia and Canada, the clinical trial followed 889 patients who had undergone colon cancer surgery and completed chemotherapy. Participants were randomized into two groups: one received a rigorously structured, professionally supervised exercise programme tailored to cancer survivors; the other group received health education materials on the benefits of physical activity and healthy eating, but without extra support or monitoring (The Guardian, Oncology Central).