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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Simple lifestyle switch can slash colon cancer death by a third: 'It's better than any drug', according to top expert
An hour an a half of daily exercise could slash the risk of dying from colon cancer by more than a third, a pivotal trial has suggested. Regular exercise has long been lauded as a crucial way to not only help stave off cancer, but also lower the chances of it spreading. Now, groundbreaking research has shown patients with the disease saw their risk of death cut by 37 per cent by completing 10 hours of physical activity per week. Anything from a brisk walk to high intensity interval training (HIIT) counted, meaning patients could also choose an activity that best fitted into their lifestyle. Researchers, presenting the findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago today, said the study was 'one of the strongest bits of evidence that exercise works' to keep cancer at bay. ASCO president and top cancer specialist Julie Gralow added that findings suggested exercise was 'better than a drug because it doesn't involve side effects'. 'This study shows it's not too late to start exercising even once diagnosed or if patients have started treatment.' The research comes amid a rising ride of colon cancer striking people in their 20s, 30s and 40s —a phenomenon that has baffled doctors around the world. Bowel cancer can cause you to have blood in your poo, a change in bowel habit, a lump inside your bowel which can cause an obstructions. Some people also suffer with weight loss a s a result of these symptoms Over the last 30 years, young diagnoses of the disease have shot up by 80 per cent across the globe. In the world-first trial, a group of international researchers tracked 889 people from six countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada, all of who had undergone surgery and chemotherapy for colon cancer that had spread to nearby lymph nodes but not reached other organs or tissues. Half were prescribed a structured exercise programme, with the other half given health education materials alongside standard follow-up care and surveillance. Those on the exercise regime received in-person coaching sessions every week for the first six months and once a month for the following two and a half years. After five years, scientists found 80 per cent of volunteers in the exercise group remained cancer-free, compared to 74 per cent in the control contingent. They also discovered the risk of death was a third lower in the exercise group. The benefits remained after eight years—patients who stuck to the exercise programme had a 37 per cent lower risk of death, the authors reported in the New England Journal of Medicine. Professor Vicky Coyle, UK lead researcher and clinical professor at Queen's University Belfast, said: 'We supported people to reach their weekly exercise target in a way that worked for them. 'This could be a long, brisk walk every day, but some patients were also doing circuit classes, cycling, swimming, and many other activities. 'Our study gives clear, encouraging evidence that physical activity can reduce the risk of cancer returning for some people with colon cancer.' Dr Joe Henson, study co-author and associate professor in lifestyle medicine at the University of Leicester, added: 'I saw first hand that the exercise reduced fatigue, lifted people's mood, and boosted their physical strength.' He added more research is needed to uncover the reasons behind the positive impact of exercise. Previous research has suggested that exercise can trigger the release of chemicals in the blood that help the immune system hunt and destroy cancer cells. Studies have also found that regular exercise reduces levels of inflammatory proteins in the body that are known to fuel the development of tumours. Natasha Wood, now 40, who lives in London, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2015 at the age of just 30. She had surgery, followed by six months of chemotherapy and has been in remission since 2016. Ms Wood, who completed half-marathons before her diagnosis, was told by doctors that her baseline fitness level would improve her outcomes. She said: 'The results of this trial corroborate my own personal experience whereby exercise has played a pivotal role both during treatment and in the years following. 'Throughout my treatment I continued to run, swim, cycle and lift weights, habits I've retained in the decade since. 'Exercise has been a cornerstone of my own healthy lifestyle and supported my physical and mental health in equal measure.' The disease, the third most common cancer in the UK, is the same type that killed Dame Deborah James aged 40 in 2022. Although the vast majority of diagnoses affect those aged over 50, rates in older age-groups has either declined or held stable while diagnoses in younger adults have soared over the last 30 years. Doctors have suggested obesity, antibiotic over-use, mobile phone radiation and even invisible particles of plastic in drinking water are potential triggers. However, a growing number of experts are also pointing to ultra-processed foods as a cause. Around 32,000 cases of colon cancer are diagnosed every year in the UK and 142,000 in the US. Symptoms include changes in bowel movements such as consistent and new diarrhoea or constipation, needing or feeling the need to poo more or less frequently and blood in the stool. Stomach pain, a lump in the stomach, bloating, unexpected weight-loss and fatigue are among other common signs.
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Knowsley extends free school holiday swimming sessions offer
Thousands of children on Merseyside will continue to be offered free swimming sessions during school has the highest childhood obesity rates in England and the free swimming scheme aims to remove the financial barriers faced by many young people and families to participating in regular physical Council confirmed the scheme, launched in 2024, would continue to be funded for the next two leader Graham Morgan said there had so far been a "fantastic take-up" from people in the borough. "It is clear that over the last year the scheme has had a huge impact on the number of children and young people accessing health and wellbeing sessions and taking up swimming in the borough," said Morgan."By removing the financial barrier to these swim sessions, not only are we providing young people with a free fun activity to take part in during the school holidays, but we are also ensuring that they enjoy active and healthy lifestyles."The sessions are provided in partnership with Volair, which runs the borough's leisure August 2024 and February 2025 a total of 8,719 free sessions for under-16s were taken up across Volair's four public health director Dr Sarah McNulty welcomed news of the scheme's said being physically active "is a really important way of combating obesity". Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds
Exercise is known to reduce cancer risk — but that doesn't have to mean hard-core gym sessions or long runs. A new study led by Oxford researchers reveals that casual walking and other light-intensity activities are enough to lower cancer incidence. The number of steps was found to be more important than the pace of the walk, they found. Just 4 Minutes Of Intense Daily Activity Could Slash Cancer Risk Among 'Non-exercisers,' Study Finds Those who walked 7,000 steps per day had an 11% lower cancer risk compared to those taking 5,000 steps per day, and the risk was 16% lower for those taking 9,000 steps per day, according to a press release from the Oxford Centre for Early Cancer Detection at the University of Oxford. Even shopping and performing household chores have been shown to reduce cancer risk. Read On The Fox News App Overall, those who had the highest total amount of daily physical activity were 26% less likely to develop cancer compared to those with the lowest amount, after adjusting for lifestyle factors, body mass index (BMI) and other health conditions. The study, which was recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed activity tracker data for 85,394 people in the UK Biobank averaging 63 years of age. Cancer Deaths And Tax Rates Linked In Surprising New Study: Here's How They then compared that data with future cancer diagnoses in 2,633 participants over a nearly six-year period. While previous studies have used self-reported exercise to determine reduced cancer risk, this one used "more precise data" based on wearable activity trackers. "Our research highlights the importance of all forms of movement," senior study author Aiden Doherty, professor of biomedical informatics at Oxford Population Health, said in the release. "Whether it's increasing daily steps, engaging in light activity or incorporating moderate-to-vigorous exercise, any level of physical activity appears to contribute to lower cancer risk." "Our findings support and enhance current national and international physical activity guidelines, showing that people who often engage in simple low-intensity activities, such as walking, have a lower risk of developing cancer." Click Here To Sign Up For Our Health Newsletter Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, pointed out that cancer is linked to inflammation, which is linked to sedentary behavior. "All kinds of activity, including walking, increases metabolic function and decreases inflammation," Siegel, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital. "The results of this study are not surprising and are in keeping with previous and ongoing research." For more Health articles, visit In addition to Oxford Health researchers, experts from the National Institutes of Health and National Cancer Institute participated in the study. Funding was provided by the National Institutes of Health's Intramural Research Program and the National Institutes of Health's Oxford Cambridge Scholars article source: Walking certain number of steps daily reduces cancer risk, Oxford study finds
