Moderate exercise helps colorectal cancer patients live longer by reducing inflammation and improving gut bacteria, including in obese patients

Regular physical activity can prolong the lives
of colorectal cancer patients.
In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists looked at the effects of exercise on the gut microbiota of cancer patients and reported a positive correlation
.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the gut microbiome is the largest component
of bacteria and other microbes that live in and on the human body.
The researchers found that physical activity is also good for obese cancer patients, whose gut microbiomes are generally less healthy
.

These findings are an important step in
understanding how a healthy gut can improve outcomes for colorectal cancer patients.
While other scientists have studied the effects of exercise on healthy people's microbiota, this is the first time the outcomes in cancer patients have been studied
.

The team found that regular physical activity can help create a healthy gut microbiome while also reducing inflammation
.
The findings were reported in patients independent of body mass index (BMI), even those classified as severely overweight or obese
.

"Active patients have a more diverse microbiome, and the bacterial abundance that promotes colorectal cancer is lower and the bacterial abundance that prevents colorectal cancer is higher
.
" "Our research shows that no one needs to be an athlete to reap these benefits
.
It can be a simple activity
.
Being active is very beneficial
.
”

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need 150 minutes of moderate exercise
per week.
That's about 20 minutes of brisk walking or jogging every day
.

"Inflammation is a key process
that triggers colorectal cancer.
We know that high BMI causes inflammation throughout the body," Ulrich said
.
"In the United States, obesity is about to overtake smoking as the number one cause
of cancer.
More than 13 cancers are linked
to obesity.
It's important that we understand that moderate exercise can help colorectal cancer patients reduce inflammation, improve their gut health, and live longer — even if they're overweight or obese," Ulrich said
.

Excluding skin cancer, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in the United States, with 106,180 new cases of colon cancer and 44,850 new cases of rectal cancer this year
, according to the American Cancer Society.
People with a higher body mass index or lack of exercise have high levels of inflammation and increase their risk of
colon cancer.

"If you lower your BMI, your inflammation levels decrease.

If the degree of inflammation is low, the risk of death is also reduced
.
”

Experts at the Huntsman Cancer Institute recommend that people at average risk of colorectal cancer should begin regular screening at age 45, either with stool tests to look for signs of cancer or through colonoscopy
.

Ulrich led the ColoCare study, which included more than 3,500 patients
newly diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer.
It is held at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and several other top U.
S.
and international research institutions, including Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Moffitt Cancer Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Washington University in St.
Louis, and the University of
Tennessee.