Lately, due to the changes in cancer findings, screening, and treatment processes, there has been more count in the total colon cancer symptoms, patient numbers, and colon cancer survival rate. Due to more people, there is a need for safety measures like lifestyle modifications regarding physical stress, obesity, smoking, and diet. It is possible to prevent around 15% of colon cancers with physical activity. Further, various reviews and studies showed the dose-based effect of anti-cancer exercises to lower the risk and mortality of recurrence before and after colon cancer.
Evidence Studies
However, there is confusion on dose, intensity, and exercises. The outcomes of random prospective studies that can determine the dosage amount are not clear yet.
Additionally, recent studies focus on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying physical activity’s effect on recurrence rates and disease outcomes. The review also focuses on finding colon cancer symptoms from physical activity and the biological basis of such effects to prevent CRC recurrence and lessen the colon cancer risks and treatment hazards.
Observational findings suggest that physical exercises are related to a higher colon cancer survival rate. Specifically following colon cancer, high post-diagnosis physical activity protects against cancer-specific mortality (Hazard ratio of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.58 to 0.99) and all can lead to mortality (females: 0.62 (95% CI, 0.47 to 0.83). Males: 0.80 (95% CI, 0.74 – 0.87). Exercise effects on colon cancer on some survival outcomes are physical fitness and fatigue. They are seen in the previous three-meta analyses with 2 to 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 628, 630, and 238 subjects with complete treatment.
According to findings, exercise had no effect on fatigue (the standardized mean was = 0.08 – 0.21, (18,19,20) and QoL (SMD = 0.18 to 0.22, (18, 20), but showed positive response in physical fitness (SMD from 059 to 0.72 (18, 20)). The small number of studies contributing to pooled analyses and heterogeneity degree among patients included overall review findings, information, and strength about the effect of different health outcomes across different colon cancer phases after the cancer continuum was limited.
What Do These Studies Suggest?
Over the past 10 years, a high count has been shown in exercise trials among the colon cancer patients, including people with colorectal cancer, offering the scope to find:
- Safety: the type, effect, and adverse event numbers
- Usefulness: recruitment of study, compliance rates, withdrawal
- Physical activity affects survival
Further objectives also explore the link between usefulness, effect, and safety traits like breaks, supervising, exercise mode, and treatment timing. New research suggests people treated for colon cancer lessen the risk of cancer coming back. They increase their survival odds by more than 50% after doing mild activities like walking.
From earlier studies, we know that general physical activity reduces the risks of getting colon cancer, but until now, many studies also looked at exercise survival rates in people treated for the disease.
Another study was on two colon cancer survivor groups. People from both groups who followed regular exercise post-colon cancer therapy showed more likelihood of being cancer-free for 12 months post-treatment than people who did not exercise.
It is good for survivors to exercise regularly to minimize colon cancer after treatment and other health reasons.
This is a major change in cancer-related diseases. However, let’s know what the experts say in this regard.
With A Healthy Body, You Get Healthy Treatment Choice
There’s no doubt that you get physically fit and maintain your weight with exercise. However, it proves more beneficial when fighting colon cancer. The exercise was proven a blessing for 1.4 million population of colon cancer patients. Gastroenterologists also say that it lessens oxidative stress and inflammation inside the body. Colon cancer ICD 10 also has shown the same guidelines.
Also Read Our Blog:- Understanding Oral Cancer And Its Available Treatment Options
Surgery Becomes Simple With A Thin Core
Beneath the skin, abdominal fat takes a large portion of our stomach and wraps itself around the organs. It can be very troublesome for people undergoing surgery for colon cancer. It would be very hard for doctors to get inside with small instruments with thick abdominal walls. Before going all the way to a thin stomach, patients should avoid spot exercises. Instead, they should go for total body exercises like long walks, bodyweight exercises, and playing tennis.
After the surgery is done, you’ll still get the advantages of being in shape. Overweight patients have complications for post-surgery. You can look at these colon cancer real images to know the effects of exercise on colon cancer.
Obesity can bring you into an inflammatory state and impairs the immune system with poor wound healing processes and blood clots.
Another patient in better shape would be a better laparoscopic surgery candidate instead for an open operation, taking a longer recovery time.
The Stage Of Cancer Doesn’t Matter.
A 2019 study suggests that patients with stage 4 metastatic colon cancer engaging in moderate exercise with chemotherapy have delayed disease progression. Also, they reduce the likelihood of getting any major side effects of the treatment.
This doesn’t mean that you would need to participate in high-intensity exercise. Even the exercise of low intensity, like walking for four or more hours per week, can create a difference:
It is linked with around 20% less colon cancer death or progression.
Scope of Prevention
Let’s talk about how exercise helps avoid colon cancer in the first place. In less active people, harmful bacteria resulting in colon cancer can get more time in our system. An active lifestyle ensures more colonic transit time (travel time food takes from the colon).
It minimizes the chances of carcinogens in the environment and food that make way to large intestine linings.
Prevention Evidence
Another reason for physical activity: In up to 126 studies, researchers found that people with exercise had a 19% low colon cancer risk compared to others.
With sufficient physical activity, we lessen inflammatory molecule levels in our bodies. It reduces colon cancer risk to other cancers. Experts suggest that people get the best exercise benefits with 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Patients can also try 75 to 100 minutes of aerobic activity or any other equivalent combo.
Get In A Good Mood
We know that exercises are mood boosters, but people with colon cancer can get physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. As you feel better with exercise, you’ll stay more active and maintain better relationships with friends and family to be social. All this helps in providing more strength for dealing with colon cancer.
It’s Always A Good Idea To Start Exercising
How long you’ve had an active lifestyle is an important factor, but a study found that at least physical exercise of an hour per day from age 12 to 22 reduces polyps risk, which is considered a precursor to colon cancer by 7%. People who maintained the activity streak in adulthood had a 24% less risk of developing colon cancer. Also, people who started in adulthood had a 9% lesser risk.
Overall, earlier systematic meta-analyses and reviews are focused on evaluating effects on health outcomes and exercise effects post-treatment. There hasn’t been any evaluation of exercise feasibility and prospective risks related to exercise before, during, and after colon cancer treatment (surgery or adjuvant treatment).
Final Take
The above-stated reasons should convince you to get off the couch and start busting calories. Patients with colon cancer at an early stage with high physical activity after diagnosis had a mortality rate of 42%. Several reasons are there as to why the United States Preventive Services Task Force suggests lowering the colon cancer screening age from 50 to 45 years. According to the American Cancer Society, people under 50 consist of up to 12% of the total cases.
Besides, there are some pretty good reasons to exercise. You minimize heart disease risk, help the body manage insulin and blood sugar, and boost your mood with improved sleep.
Certain molecules that let the cancer cells spread in the body in colon cancer patients lessen with physical exercise. So, we suggest not skipping this important step. Expert doctors at University Cancer Centers take an all-around approach to treating all types of cancer. Our accurate colon cancer treatment methods, combined with the extensive skill set of an experienced team of doctors, offer peace of mind to patients with the correct treatment and surgical processes and skills to treat cancers.