Landmark study published: Exercise and colon cancer
A landmark research study has been published in The New England Journal of Medicine demonstrating the benefits of exercise to improve survival after colon cancer and reduce risk of another cancer.
Some early research has suggested that regular exercise might help people with cancer live longer and stay healthier, but until now, there hasn’t been strong proof.
Researchers ran a large, long-term study to find out if exercise really makes a difference for people with colon cancer. They followed 889 patients who had surgery and finished chemotherapy. Half of the patients joined a structured exercise programme for 3 years, while the other half received general health-education materials promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition.
The difference between the exercise group and the health-education group in recreational moderate-to-vigorous physical activity over the 3-year intervention ranged from 5.2 to 7.4 MET-hours per week, which is equivalent to about 1.5 to 2.25 hours per week more of walking at 3 mph.
After nearly 8 years of follow-up:
- People who exercised were more likely to stay cancer-free.
- After 5 years, about 80% of those in the exercise group were cancer-free, compared to about 74% in the group that didn’t exercise.
- Those who exercised also lived longer overall. After 8 years, over 90% were still alive, compared to about 83% of those who didn’t exercise regularly.
- Some people in the exercise group had more joint or muscle aches, but most completed the programme.
Regular exercise after treatment for colon cancer can help people stay cancer-free longer and may help them live longer too. This study gives strong evidence that staying active is an important part of cancer recovery.
Read the full article here: Structured Exercise after Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer
Tighter regulations needed on marketing of sunbed use by commercial tanning salons.
A new study, published by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) and the HSE’s National Cancer Control Programme, was conducted by the Institute for Social Marketing and Health at the University of Stirling. It examined the marketing practices of two tanning salon operators in Dublin and their compliance with marketing restrictions under the Public Health (Sunbeds) Act 2014.
Some Dublin-based tanning salons are “heavily” promoting tanning products, such as accelerators, to incentivise sunbed use, despite regulations restricting the promotion of sunbeds, a new study has found. While the salons were compliant with the Sunbeds Act, the findings highlight the need for tighter regulations, according to researchers involved in the study.
The findings from the study will be used to inform the National Skin Cancer Prevention Plan, implemented by the HSE’s NCCP.