#Colon_cancer

A wave of headlines has cheered that exercise is “better than drugs” for preventing colon cancer recurrence, suggesting an exciting shift in how survivors might chart their recovery. But a closer examination of the latest landmark research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in June 2025, brings a far more nuanced—and ultimately more practical—message for cancer patients and the health community, including here in Thailand. The real story isn’t a competition between medicine and movement, but a call for a more holistic approach in which structured exercise and medical care both play distinctive and powerful roles in ensuring long-term health and survival.

Structured, supervised exercise added to standard cancer care can improve long-term outcomes for colon cancer survivors. Exercise should complement, not replace, medications like chemotherapy. For Thai patients, this translates to a survivorship plan that blends medical treatment with active living.

Colorectal cancer remains a major health concern in Thailand, with incidence expected to rise. Thailand’s National Cancer Control Program emphasizes survivorship programs that integrate physical activity, recognizing that coordinated care influences quality of life and outcomes.