Regular Exercise Program Cuts Colon Cancer Deaths

Previous studies have suggested that physical activity lowers colon cancer risk. Kathleen Y. Wolin, from Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri, USA), and colleagues examined data from the American Cancer Society Prevention Study II, involving over 150,000 men and women, to determine whether physical activity influenced either the incidence of colon cancer diagnosis or the risk of death from the disease. The team compared levels of physical activity of the study subjects during a 15 year period, and linked those activity levels to both the number of subsequent colon cancer diagnoses and the number of subsequent colon cancer deaths.  They found that people who were consistently active over the course of their adulthood had a lower risk of death from colon cancer, as compared to those who were sedentary. The greatest benefit accrued in those who exercised for the largest percentage of their lives, suggesting that a long-term regular exercise program provides beneficial effects on the risk of colon cancer diagnosis. The researchers urge that: “This study suggests that long-term participation in physical activity provides the greatest reduction in risk of colon cancer death.”