An international team of researchers from Canada and Australia has proven that regular physical activity reduces the risk of death due to cancer by 37 percent and the likelihood of its recurrence by 28 percent, reports The Guardian.

The results of a respective trial were presented in Chicago at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (Asco) annual meeting, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the trial, researchers enrolled 889 colon cancer patients between 2009 and 2023. Most (90%) had stage three disease. Patients were randomly assigned to take part in a structured exercise program (445), or to just receive a healthy lifestyle booklet (444).

Those in the exercise group worked with a personal trainer twice a month for coaching sessions and supervised exercise sessions, and later once a month, for a total of three year.

The exercise group were coached and supported to help them achieve set exercise goals. Their weekly target was the equivalent of three to four walks of between 45 and 60 minutes, but patients could choose how they got more active. Some went kayaking or skiing, for instance.

After five years, patients in the exercise group had a 28% lower risk of recurrent or new cancers than those in the other group. After eight years, the same patients also had a 37% lower risk of dying than those just handed the healthy lifestyle booklet.

Asked to put the effect of exercise on cancer patients’ outcomes into context, Dr. Julie Gralow, the chief medical officer of Asco, said: “We titled [the session it was presented in] As Good as a Drug. I would have retitled it Better than a Drug, because you don’t have all the side-effects.”

The mechanism of action of physical exercise is complex: it strengthens the immune system, reduces inflammation, maintains a healthy weight, and improves psychological well-being.

While this study followed only colon cancer patients, Gralow said there was no reason to think the findings would not be applicable across other cancers.

The findings change the paradigm in oncology, offering a simple, accessible, and effective way to improve the prognosis for millions of patients worldwide.