What’s New at ASCO 2025?
The ASCO 2025 conference in Chicago brought exciting news for cancer care. A major study, the CHALLENGE Trial, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on June 1, 2025. It shows how structured exercise helps colon cancer survivors live longer after chemotherapy.
What Is the CHALLENGE Trial?
The CHALLENGE Trial studied 889 colon cancer patients. It compared two groups over 7.9 years: one did a 3-year exercise program, while the other got health education. The goal was to see how exercise affects survival.
How Does Exercise Help Survival?
The trial focused on Disease-Free Survival (DFS) as its main measure. The exercise group had a 28% lower risk of cancer returning or dying, with a Hazard Ratio (HR) of 0.72. At 5 years, 80.3% of the exercise group were disease-free, compared to 73.9% in the health education group.
What About Overall Survival?
Exercise also improved Overall Survival (OS). The exercise group had a 37% lower risk of death, with an HR of 0.63. After 8 years, 90.3% of the exercise group were alive, compared to 83.2% in the other group.
What Do Experts Say?
Dr. Christopher Booth, a Professor at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, said, “This is a game-changer for colon cancer care.” Dr. Jeffrey Meyerhardt from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute added, “It’s the first trial to prove exercise reduces cancer recurrence.” Meanwhile, Dr. Kerry Courneya from the University of Alberta urged, “Exercise should be a standard treatment for all patients.”
Other Benefits of Exercise
The exercise group saw fewer liver recurrences: 3.6% compared to 6.5% in the control group. New primary cancers dropped to 5.2% from 9.7%. Plus, patients felt fitter and walked 6 minutes longer in tests.
Is Exercise Safe for Patients?
Exercise was mostly safe, with no major concerns. However, mild muscle and joint issues rose to 18.5% in the exercise group, compared to 11.5% in the control group. These issues were manageable for most patients.
A Patient’s Story
Terri, a 62-year-old from Kingston, Ontario, joined the trial. She said, “This is something I could do for myself.” With coaching, she walked 45 minutes several times a week and felt stronger.
Who Funded the Trial?
The trial was supported globally by the Canadian Cancer Society, the Australian NHMRC, and Cancer Research UK. This teamwork shows how exercise can help colon cancer patients worldwide. It’s a low-cost solution with a big impact.
Why This Matters for Cancer Care
At ASCO 2025, Dr. Aaron Goodman from UC San Diego Health said the trial deserved more attention. He felt it should have been a plenary session, hinting at pharmaceutical influence. Clearly, exercise could change how we treat colon cancer.
Related Links:
Read the full study at NEJM.org.