14 DAY TRIAL // Researchers at the Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis conducted a new study that concluded that regular exercise is associated to lower risks of dying from colon cancer.
This is actually one of the first studies to prove that physical activity can make the disease less deadly.
Kathleen Y. Wolin, ScD, first authors of the study says that “people who were consistently active over the course of their adulthood had a lower risk of death from colon cancer than those who were sedentary.
“People often wonder around the start of a new year whether exercise really will help them stay healthy or whether it’s already too late.
“It’s never too late to start exercising, but it’s also never too early to start being active.
“That’s the message we hope people will take away from this study.”
The researchers from Washington University worked with colleagues from the American Cancer Society and analyzed data from the American Cancer Society Prevention Study II (CPS II).
The purpose of this study, which included over 150,000 men and women, was to find out whether changes in physical activity influenced either the incidence of colon cancer diagnosis or the risk of death from the illness.
In an attempt to see the effects of exercise on colon cancer, the patients' levels of physical activity between 1982 and 1997 were compared, and were linked to both the number of colon cancer diagnoses between 1998 and 2005, and to the number of colon cancer deaths, between 1998 and 2006.
The statistics sowed that those who exercised consistently for at least 10 years had the lowest risk of dying from colon cancer.
Wolin, who is an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences, says starting and maintaining an exercise program, is advised not only for preventing colon cancer and death from the disease, but also for reducing the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and other cancers.
The more people exercised during their lives, the higher their benefits were, but this does not mean everyone should run marathons.
“You get enormous 'bang for the buck,'” says Wolin.
“You go for a 30-minute walk every day, and you’re going to reduce your risk of a number of diseases.
“And in addition, our research has also shown that you feel better, physically and mentally, so you’re able to function better.”
Also, it seems that physical activity can be beneficial even after a cancer diagnosis already has been established.
“There is evidence that being physically active can reduce the risk of recurrence and death following a cancer diagnosis,” added Wolin.
“So even those who haven’t been physically active can begin exercising after their diagnosis and see some real benefits as well.”