#Cancerremission

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).

A large international study shows that a supervised, structured exercise program after standard colon cancer treatment can improve long-term outcomes. For Thai readers, the finding underscores how lifestyle support can play a meaningful role in survivorship care without replacing medicine.

From 2009 to 2024, 889 colon cancer patients who finished chemotherapy were randomized to a guided exercise program or to a lifestyle-education group. The exercise plan was personalized and supervised, with weekly in-person coaching for six months, then gradually reduced as participants gained confidence. Target goals were 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity, including brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or circuit classes. The control group received lifestyle advice on activity and healthy eating without extra coaching.