Christopher Booth MD: Post-Surgery Exercise Therapy Reduced Recurrence Risk and Extended Life in Patients with Colon Cancer

An interview with:

Christopher Booth, MD, FRCPC

Medical Oncologist and Professor, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

Comments from:

Rebecca Dent MD MSc,

Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, National Cancer Centre, Singapore

CHICAGO— For patients with stage III and high-risk stage II colon cancer, a structured exercise program following surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy reduced the risk of recurrent or new cancer and increased survival in a study reported at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The long-term, large, randomized phase three Canadian Cancer Trials Group CO.21 CHALLENGE study found that post-treatment exercise was both achievable and effective and brought benefits rivalling those of new cancer medicines.

Study leader Christopher Booth MD FRCPC, a medical oncologist and professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada, told the Audio Journal of Oncology’s Peter Goodwin about his group’s findings and conclusions.

Rebecca Dent MD MSc, Senior Consultant Medical Oncologist and Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the National Cancer Centre, Singapore, added her comments.

AUDIO JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY:

Interviews with Christopher Booth and Rebecca Dent

ASCO 2025 ABTRACT

Abstract LBA3510:

A randomized phase III trial of the impact of a structured exercise program on disease–free survival (DFS) in stage 3 or high-risk stage 2 colon cancer: Canadian Cancer Trials Group (CCTG) CO.21 (CHALLENGE)