7 Jun 2025

Exercise reduces risk cancer patients dying by third - study

From Saturday Morning, 7:35 am on 7 June 2025
A woman running up a flight of steps.

A woman running up a flight of steps. Photo: UnSplash/ Ev

Professor Haryana Dhillon.

Professor Haryana Dhillon. Photo: Supplied / Haryana Dhillon

It's common knowledge that exercise is good for us, but for the first time, a study has found that exercise can reduce the risk of cancer patients dying by a third - and stop tumours coming back.

Nearly 890 colon cancer patients, from six countries including Canada and Australia, took part in the study.

They were randomly divided into two-groups, one group was set a three-year structured exercise programme, the other group was only given a healthy lifestyle booklet.

And the results are clear - structured exercise reduced the risk of recurrent or new cancer by 28 percent and reduced the risk of death by 37 percent.

Professor Haryana Dhillon from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Science - is one of the authors of the study and speaks to Mihi.

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