Exercise May Have Benefits in Colon Cancer
(NY, Reuters Health, 8/11/06

For an average of 9.6 years, Dr. Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt of Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and team, tracked 573 women diagnosed with colorectal cancer.. The researchers assessed the subjects’ physical activity following diagnosis in terms of "metabolic equivalent tasks" or MET-hours, which scored walking at 2.9 mph 3 MET-hours, aerobic exercise 6, and running faster than 10 min/mil, 12. The investigators found that patients reporting 18 or more MET hours per week were significantly more likely to survive than those with 3 or fewer. In another study, Meyerhardt's team studied 832 advanced colon cancer patients, who reported their physical activities about 6 months after their chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments had ended. During an average follow-up of 2.7 years, participants exercising 18 to 26.9 MET hours per week were significantly more likely to live than those exercising less than 3. These findings suggest that vigorous activity may reduce the risk of death from colorectal cancer.

(Journal of Clinical Oncology August 1, 2006)