According to the American Cancer Society, colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in the United States. This year, the organization estimates that more than 150,000 Americans will be diagnosed with it, with nearly 53,000 deaths.
New research, presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO Society) annual meeting in the past few days, provides promising findings on both pharmaceutical and lifestyle interventions, including the effects of diet and exercise.
According to the Colon Cancer Association, largely thanks to screening, the diagnosis of colon cancer has declined overall over decades. However, case rates are rising among younger adults, and studies estimate that by 2030 it will be the main cause of colon cancer in adults aged 20-49.
Previous studies suggest that regular exercise can improve survival in colorectal cancer patients, suggesting that new studies (published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the ASCO conference on Sunday) have confirmed their findings with robust clinical trial data.
Between 2009 and 2024, researchers followed nearly 900 colon cancer patients who had completed chemotherapy. Half of them received an informational booklet that encouraged them to adopt a healthy lifestyle that was nutritious and healthy, while the other half were in line with physical activity consultants for three years.
They found that patients with exercise programmes had a 28% reduction in the risk of recurrence or new cancers, and found a 5-year, disease-free survival rate of 80% in the group with exercise consultants compared to 74% in the group who just received the booklet.
In other words, the exercise program was found to prevent one of the 16 patients from developing recurrent or new cancers.
“The new study has been a great opportunity to learn about the best,” said Christopher Booth, a professor of oncology at Queens University and a co-author of the new study. “Exercise should really be seen as an important component of the treatment of colon cancer.”
While there is still work to understand why exercise can help reduce the risk of cancer, experts say it may have something to do with the way exercise can help reduce inflammation in the body.
Another new study, published at the ASCO conference on Sunday, found that anti-inflammatory diets also help improve survival rates in people with stage 3 colon cancer.
Patients who consumed more anti-inflammatory diets, including vegetables such as coffee, black tea, and lush greenery, and engaged in higher levels of physical activity were found to have a 63% lower risk of death compared to patients who consumed the most inflammatory diet, including lean meat, processed meat, refined grains, refined grains, and sugar-processed drinks.
“As an active, field, we are learning about the role of the immune system in cancer development, and inflammation is an immune response,” says Dr. Sara Char, clinical fellow in hematology and oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and author of the study, suggesting that the rise of colorectal cancer cases in young people is a challenging part.
“When you look at the incidence of colon cancer in young people, it really suggests there’s something in the environment. The food we eat, our lifestyle, the chemicals that could be found in our foods, all sorts of different things — it’s not just genetics that promote these fees,” she said. “So it’s very important for us, for us, for us, for our diet and lifestyle, not only risking this cancer, but how people will be fare.”
Both Booth and Char said colorectal cancer patients often want ways to actively manage their risks.
“I think it’s very empowering for the patients,” Booth said. “It’s achievable for the patient too. It’s a commitment, but it’s something the patient can achieve.”
In his research, “exercise prescriptions” were developed based on each individual’s starting point. Most people were able to reach an increase in their targets if they went for an active walk about 3-4 days a week, Booth said.
Although lifestyle interventions such as exercise and diet are also “sustainable for the health system,” he said, it is important that the system helps support patients with access to the resources needed for behavioral interventions.
Another new study showed promising results that could represent a new standard standard for specific patients with advanced colon cancer.
On Friday, drugmaker Pfizer presented data on Blaftvi, a colorectal cancer drug. It is used in combination with standard chemotherapy and antibody drugs. During the trial, drug combos were shown to double with treatment for patients with aggressive forms of colorectal cancer. It averages 30 months compared to 15 months using currently available treatments.
Braffovi targets mutations in certain proteins that can lead to abnormal cell growth and has already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat several forms of cancer. The study, funded by Pfizer, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Friday.
“This is a targeted cancer therapy that relies on actually knowing what promotes cancer in a patient,” Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Brula told CNN. These targeted therapies have been one of the biggest advances in cancer treatment over the past 20 years, and it is easy to diagnose whether cancer patients have a specific mutation that Braftovi can treat, he said.
According to Bourla, the latest data on the treatment of colorectal cancer, “very important findings” and the drug are seeking additional approval to add new indications to the drug label.