Latest news with #Queen'sUniversity
Hamilton Spectator
6 hours ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Exercise improves colon cancer survival, Canadian researchers say
TORONTO - Canadian researchers say a new study shows regular exercise improves survival for colon cancer patients. The study, published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that patients who participated in a supervised exercise program after completing their chemotherapy were 28 per cent less likely to have their colon cancer return than patients in the control group. 'It's the first clinical trial in the world asking whether exercise can improve cancer survival. And in fact, the results were astounding,' Dr. Christopher Booth, a co-chair of the international study and a medical oncologist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ont., said in an interview. The patients in the exercise group regularly met with a physical activity consultant — usually a physiotherapist, kinesiologist or personal trainer — to help them stick to a structured exercise program for three years. The patients in the control group received health education materials that encouraged physical fitness after their chemotherapy, but were not given a physical activity support person. The patients in the structured exercise group had a 37 per cent lower risk of death than those in the control group, the study said. The study, which was conducted in cancer centres across Canada and in other countries including Australia and the U.K., shows a prescription for a structured exercise program should be part of the treatment for colon cancer, said Booth, who is also a professor of oncology at Queen's University. 'If we had a cancer drug with this amount of benefit, it would cost between $100,000 and $200,000 per year (and) it would be celebrated in all the major guidelines across oncology societies worldwide,' he said. 'And there's no question it would be funded by health systems worldwide and included as a standard of care.' Although the research team hasn't yet done a formal cost-benefit analysis, Booth said the cost of providing a physical activity support person for three years would likely be between $3,000 and $5,000 per patient. That would be a worthwhile investment for the health-care system to make, he said. 'When we have something like exercise, which is both incredibly affordable and sustainable for health systems with comparable magnitude of benefit, I think it would be a tragic failure of health policy not to ensure this is provided to all patients.' Booth and his colleagues started the randomized control trial, a model widely considered the gold standard in medical research, more than 15 years ago after seeing promising data in observational studies suggesting exercise would benefit colon cancer patients. The trial included 889 colon cancer patients, followed between 2009 and 2024, who had completed their chemotherapy treatments. The researchers assessed their baseline level of fitness and randomized them to assign half the participants to the structured exercise group and the other half to the control group. Those in the exercise group saw a physical activity consultant every two weeks for their first year in the study and then once a month for two years afterward. During those sessions, they would work on motivation and goal-setting to reach their targeted hours of exercise per week. The second part of the session was a supervised exercise session. Their goal was to increase their exercise level by at least 10 metabolic equivalents, or METS, per week. A MET is a unit of energy expended. Participants could choose what exercises they wanted to do as long as they met their MET target. Many chose brisk walking, which adds up to about four METS an hour. One of those participants was Terri Swain-Collins, who lives in Kingston and is one of Booth's patients. Now 62, Swain-Collins was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in June 2021 after a screening test and follow-up colonoscopy. When Booth asked if she would be interested in participating in the study, she didn't know whether she would be in the structured exercise group or the control group. Swain-Collins was assigned to the exercise group. At the time, she was returning to work as a busy X-ray technologist after her treatment, plus helping to manage her husband's business, and wasn't sure where she'd find the time for exercise. Thanks to the physiotherapist assigned to her, she was motivated to walk for at least 45 minutes, three times a week. 'Being accountable to her is what really helped me continue with it,' Swain-Collins said in an interview. 'If I'd have been just told, you know, 'exercise is good for you and off you go,' I never would have done what I'm doing now,' she said. There's no sign of her cancer returning and Swain-Collins said she's 'definitely' more fit now. 'I hope anyone diagnosed with cancer does get this type of opportunity,' she said. 'I think it might really make a difference.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Exercise improves colon cancer survival, Canadian researchers say
TORONTO – Canadian researchers say a new study shows regular exercise improves survival for colon cancer patients. The study, published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that patients who participated in a supervised exercise program after completing their chemotherapy were 28 per cent less likely to have their colon cancer return than patients in the control group. 'It's the first clinical trial in the world asking whether exercise can improve cancer survival. And in fact, the results were astounding,' Dr. Christopher Booth, a co-chair of the international study and a medical oncologist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre in Kingston, Ont., said in an interview. The patients in the exercise group regularly met with a physical activity consultant — usually a physiotherapist, kinesiologist or personal trainer — to help them stick to a structured exercise program for three years. The patients in the control group received health education materials that encouraged physical fitness after their chemotherapy, but were not given a physical activity support person. The patients in the structured exercise group had a 37 per cent lower risk of death than those in the control group, the study said. The study, which was conducted in cancer centres across Canada and in other countries including Australia and the U.K., shows a prescription for a structured exercise program should be part of the treatment for colon cancer, said Booth, who is also a professor of oncology at Queen's University. 'If we had a cancer drug with this amount of benefit, it would cost between $100,000 and $200,000 per year (and) it would be celebrated in all the major guidelines across oncology societies worldwide,' he said. 'And there's no question it would be funded by health systems worldwide and included as a standard of care.' Although the research team hasn't yet done a formal cost-benefit analysis, Booth said the cost of providing a physical activity support person for three years would likely be between $3,000 and $5,000 per patient. That would be a worthwhile investment for the health-care system to make, he said. 'When we have something like exercise, which is both incredibly affordable and sustainable for health systems with comparable magnitude of benefit, I think it would be a tragic failure of health policy not to ensure this is provided to all patients.' Booth and his colleagues started the randomized control trial, a model widely considered the gold standard in medical research, more than 15 years ago after seeing promising data in observational studies suggesting exercise would benefit colon cancer patients. The trial included 889 colon cancer patients, followed between 2009 and 2024, who had completed their chemotherapy treatments. The researchers assessed their baseline level of fitness and randomized them to assign half the participants to the structured exercise group and the other half to the control group. Those in the exercise group saw a physical activity consultant every two weeks for their first year in the study and then once a month for two years afterward. During those sessions, they would work on motivation and goal-setting to reach their targeted hours of exercise per week. The second part of the session was a supervised exercise session. Their goal was to increase their exercise level by at least 10 metabolic equivalents, or METS, per week. A MET is a unit of energy expended. Participants could choose what exercises they wanted to do as long as they met their MET target. Many chose brisk walking, which adds up to about four METS an hour. One of those participants was Terri Swain-Collins, who lives in Kingston and is one of Booth's patients. Now 62, Swain-Collins was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in June 2021 after a screening test and follow-up colonoscopy. When Booth asked if she would be interested in participating in the study, she didn't know whether she would be in the structured exercise group or the control group. Swain-Collins was assigned to the exercise group. At the time, she was returning to work as a busy X-ray technologist after her treatment, plus helping to manage her husband's business, and wasn't sure where she'd find the time for exercise. Thanks to the physiotherapist assigned to her, she was motivated to walk for at least 45 minutes, three times a week. 'Being accountable to her is what really helped me continue with it,' Swain-Collins said in an interview. 'If I'd have been just told, you know, 'exercise is good for you and off you go,' I never would have done what I'm doing now,' she said. There's no sign of her cancer returning and Swain-Collins said she's 'definitely' more fit now. 'I hope anyone diagnosed with cancer does get this type of opportunity,' she said. 'I think it might really make a difference.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 1, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Globe and Mail
6 hours ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
International clinical trial shows exercise improves survival for colon cancer patients
For nearly two decades, researchers from around the world have explored a question in a clinical trial considered the first of its kind: Can physical activity improve cancer survival? The answer, according to their research, is a resounding yes. The study from a trial called the CO.21 Challenge, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Sunday, says a structured exercise program significantly improves survival for colon cancer patients. From 2009 until 2024, researchers looked at the impact of physical activity on patients with Stage 3 or high-risk Stage 2 colon cancer. The trial included 889 patients who'd had surgery and chemotherapy. The participants were randomly assigned to participate in a structured exercise program with an exercise therapist over a three-year period, or they received health education materials on the benefits of physical activity and nutrition. The patients also received cancer surveillance and follow-up care. The results showed a significant improvement in overall survival and disease-free survival among participants assigned to the exercise program in comparison with those who only received the health education materials. The research found patients in the structured exercise program had a 37-per-cent lower risk of death and a 28-per-cent lower risk of recurrence or developing other cancers. Christopher Booth, an oncologist at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and a professor of oncology at Queen's University who co-chaired the global cancer trial, said that he didn't sleep for days after first seeing the results. He experienced a sense of joy and exhilaration, for both patients and for the future of cancer care. 'I think this really does change the landscape of cancer treatment; it opens an entirely new avenue of cancer therapy,' Dr. Booth told The Globe and Mail by phone. Dr. Booth's fellow chair is Kerry Courneya, a professor and Canada Research Chair in physical activity and cancer at the University of Alberta. He said the study shows exercise is no longer only an intervention for quality-of-life. 'It is a treatment for colon cancer that must be made available to all patients,' Dr. Courneya said. Gen X and millennials blindsided by rising rates of cancer Terri Swain-Collins, a 62-year old who lives in Kingston and who participated in the trial, said working with a trainer over a three-year period helped her establish and maintain a fitness plan. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in June, 2021. Ms. Swain-Collins said the sense of accountability made 'all the difference' and simply being told to work out by a doctor would not have been enough. She appreciated the regular check-ins, as well as being able to have someone with her while she logged steps on a treadmill. Dr. Booth, Ms. Swain-Collins's oncologist, said researchers were thrilled to see behavioural changes could lead to positive outcomes for patients. For example, he said they felt better; their fitness improved. On top of that, he said, the scale of the benefit of exercise is, in some cases, better than what is offered through many standard cancer drug regimes. Dr. Booth said it is important to note that the exercise program offered added benefits on top of those from surgery and chemotherapy. After nearly two decades of working on the research (for reference, Dr. Booth started working on it when his wife was pregnant with their child who is now 18), he is hopeful the findings can help change the standards for colon cancer care. But he said knowledge of the benefits of exercise won't be sufficient to see most people change their lifestyle and to sustain change. A new model, he said, should see patients who have had surgery and received chemotherapy treatments with oncologists like himself referred to an exercise specialist who can then work with them over the next three years. 'We need to ensure the health systems provide this structured behaviour change intervention,' he said, adding an exercise consultant should be part of the health care team.
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Health
- New York Times
Exercise Extends Life for People With Cancer, Study Shows
A first-of-its kind study adds powerful new evidence to research showing that exercise improves cancer survival. The study, a randomized controlled trial of nearly 900 patients at 55 cancer centers in six countries, showed that people who participated in a structured exercise program lived longer without their cancer coming back and without the occurrence of new cancers. Participants in the exercise program had a 37 percent lower risk of dying and a 28 percent lower risk of recurrent or new cancer than those in the control group. Earlier research had suggested such a benefit, but the data were from observational studies that did not prove a causal link, experts said. 'We now have definitive evidence that exercise is not just an intervention for quality of life and fitness. This is an intervention that improves survival and should be standard of care,' said Dr. Christopher Booth, the senior author of the paper and a professor of oncology at Queen's University in Canada. The study, which was published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine, looked at patients with Stage III or high-risk Stage II colon cancer who received standard surgery and chemotherapy treatment. Researchers randomly assigned these patients to a control group, which received educational materials promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition, or to a treatment group, which also received support from a 'physical activity consultant' — a hybrid of personal trainer and life coach — over three years to increase their aerobic exercise and sustain it. Patients could choose a number of activities, such as biking, jogging, swimming or kayaking, but most opted for a brisk walk of 45 minutes four times a week, Dr. Booth said. Eighty percent of patients in the exercise group remained disease-free after five years, compared to 74 percent of patients in the control group. After eight years, the exercise program had prevented one death for every 14 people who participated in the exercise arm of the study. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Irish Independent
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
‘I'm getting paid to actually study' – meet the TikTokers who earn cash for Leaving Cert videos
How to get to 635 points, the finer points of the tuiseal ginideach and concerns around grade inflation are among issues covered in the online ecosystem of the TikTok influencer. Ella Martin (19), from Co Meath, has a place in a dance college in Dublin secured already, so points are not too relevant for her. Her 'Spend The Day Studying with Me' TikTok content features video of her at her desk interspersed with other activities and hanging out with friends. Ella is a brand ambassador for Simple Study, an online subscription platforms that provides access to revision notes, past papers and quizzes. 'I got a message from them about four weeks ago asking would I be interested in doing one video for them and I said absolutely. I was earning commission off however many people used [my discount] code,' Ella said. 'Now the videos I'm making up to the Leaving Cert are all paid for as well. It's €20 a video, which is really good for just videoing what I'm going to be doing during the day anyway. I'm getting paid to actually study. 'It was really motivating. It meant I had to get up and make my bed tidy, make my bedroom presentable, and then actually sit down and study.' Eighteen-year-old Ryan Dolan, from Co Westmeath, needs to get at least 500 points to study law in Galway. He started his TikTok account this year after an injury left him unable to play Gaelic football. 'It was quite nerve-racking, I won't lie. I didn't know what the perception was going to be at the start,' he said. 'It felt like there was a lot of slagging going on at first. But people started to realise, 'oh, Ryan's able to put up a TikTok in the evening and he makes as much money as I'm making [at a part-time job] over the weekend'.' At one point he was getting so many negative messages, he had friends logging into his account to filter what was coming in. But he said things have calmed down since. Ryan works with a company called Grinds 360, whose investors include former rugby star Brian O'Driscoll. He describes himself as a Leaving Cert creator, and makes videos that are typically 'day-in-the-life' content. 'I don't get paid to make the videos, but for anybody who uses my code, I get €50 for a referral,' he said. Ryan recounted an incident in which a 'random account' posted a video accusing him and other exam TikTokers of scaremongering. 'That wasn't very nice,' he said. 'There is a lot of scaremongering out there, but I try to motivate people away from the fear of the Leaving Cert.' Catríona Lawless-Molyneux (19) sat her Leaving Cert last year. From outside Mullingar, she now lives in Belfast, and has just finished her first year studying English and Irish at Queen's University. She's an ambassador for study website Studyclix. 'Last year they gave us free full access to the website, and Studyclix merchandise,' Catríona said. 'This year I have been involved in a number of paid promotions for them, receiving up to €250.' She posted recently about fearmongering. 'Looking back at myself last year, I was definitely part of a group of people that I'm sure people were sick of seeing on their social media just talking about the Leaving Cert. But I feel like this year it has taken on a whole new form. I've seen videos of people saying they're waking up at 5:30 in the morning to do a 12-hour study day,' she said. Aisling Walsh, from Co Mayo, is currently in Australia on exchange as part of her studies in law and politics in UCD. The 21-year-old sat her Leaving Cert in 2022, the year that several people pinpointed as the year this kind of content really took off. She became known at the time as The Leaving Cert Girl. 'I started to do day-in-the-life videos. I was doing these study days that were between five and eight hours, which obviously was a lot of study. It blew up because of people's reaction to the amount of study that I was doing,' Aisling said. She now works for Studyclix's social media team, having posted sponsored content for the company when she was studying for her Leaving Cert. Jake Glendon, a 19-year-old from Kilkenny, sat his Leaving Cert last year and still posts online advice for students. He also runs grinds on Zoom for a €15 hourly rate. He previously worked with Studyclix, and now works with Simple Study. 'If the video does really well, and you do 20,000 views, you could get anywhere from €70 to €100. They give bonuses depending on how the content does,' Jake said. Caoimhe Graham's 'Day in the Life' TikTok videos have a slightly different context. The 18-year-old, who lives in Galway, has a kidney condition – IgA nephropathy – that has flared up in the past few weeks. It means she is studying and posting videos from her hospital bed. Last November, her mother Susan died. 'Considering everything, I definitely think I am doing really well,' she said. Caoimhe went back to school two weeks after her mum died, and sat every paper on her mocks. 'They were fine,' she said. She is hoping to get Advanced Therapeutic Technology in RCSI. She describes her TikTok as 'a studying account. I've really enjoyed it, and being able to help people. I've had messages from people all over the country. People come up to me and thank me for posting videos'.
