A global, multi-year clinical trial funded by the Canadian Cancer Society and others has delivered a breakthrough for cancer survivors: structured exercise during cancer, delivered through a supervised program, significantly reduces the risk of colon cancer recurrence and improves overall survival. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on June 2, 2025, confirm what many cancer survivors have long suspected—that movement is not just medicine, but a potential lifeline.
What the Study Found
Known as the CHALLENGE (Colon Health and Life-Long Exercise Change) trial, this international phase 3 randomized study followed 962 patients with high-risk stage II or stage III colon cancer who had completed their surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups:
- A structured physical activity program that included supervised sessions, personalized coaching, and behavior support to help participants achieve 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity per week.
- A control group that received general health education materials, but no structured exercise support.
After a median follow-up of eight years, the findings were striking:
- The structured exercise group had a 28% lower risk of disease recurrence or death compared to the control group.
- All-cause mortality was reduced by 37% among those who engaged in the exercise program.
Exercise During Cancer is a Paradigm Shift in Recovery
This is the first large-scale randomized trial to demonstrate such a powerful long-term survival benefit from exercise in cancer survivors. While earlier studies have shown correlations between physical activity and reduced recurrence, the CHALLENGE trial provides the gold-standard evidence needed to influence clinical guidelines.
Structured physical activity was not only feasible but safe and sustainable for survivors. Importantly, this wasn’t a case of just telling patients to “go exercise.” The program included goal-setting, coaching, and progress tracking, emphasizing that support is essential to making movement a lasting part of life after cancer.
What It Means for Survivors—and for Care Providers
This research is especially meaningful for colon cancer survivors, but it carries implications for the broader survivorship community—including breast cancer, where similar observational evidence is growing. Survivors often ask: “What can I do to prevent this from coming back?” Now, we have a clearer answer.
What I’m doing for exercise these days.
Exercise may become a front-line prescription, right alongside medication, scans, and bloodwork. It also highlights the urgent need to integrate exercise oncology programsexercise oncology programs into standard cancer care, with real investment in physiologists, behavior coaches, and long-term follow-up systems.
What Survivors Should Know
If you’re in treatment or recovering from cancer and wondering whether to lace up your sneakers—this study offers strong motivation. You don’t have to run marathons. Walking briskly, cycling, swimming, or structured aerobics—done consistently and with some support—can make a real difference.
But don’t go it alone. Talk to your oncologist or primary care provider. Ask if your cancer center offers or refers to supervised exercise programs. If none exist, advocate for one. This study could become the catalyst for change.
Final Thoughts from AskEllyn
At AskEllyn, we believe in whole-person survivorship—where lifestyle choices are respected and supported, not treated as “extras.” The CHALLENGE trial brings hard science to what many survivors have long felt: that taking back control of your body, step by step, is one of the most powerful things you can do.
Whether you’re just finishing treatment or deep in survivorship, movement matters. Now, the world’s top cancer researchers agree.
Source: Courneya KS et al. (CHALLENGE Trial Investigators), “A Physical Activity Program to Reduce Colon Cancer Recurrence,” New England Journal of Medicine, June 2, 2025. Read the full study here
