This will be the last issue of my Blurb in 2025. See you again next year.
Have a Merry X-mas and Happy New Year
Now for the feature:
Cancer remains one of the world’s most feared diseases, not just because of primary tumors, but because of its ability to spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body. What if a simple, accessible tool like exercise could help slow or even reduce that spread? Recent research suggests it can.
There was an article “Running Away From Cancer,” in the magazine What Doctors Don’t Tell You that points to how regular aerobic exercise appears to “change the whole body so that cancer cannot spread, and the primary tumor also shrinks in size.” Pretty exciting stuff!!!
Let’s look at some of the research that’s out there.
1. Exercise Reduces Cancer Progression and Metastatic Risk
Regular physical activity isn’t merely associated with cancer prevention; it may help slow progression and reduce metastatic potential. A 2025 review in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology found that exercise therapy can inhibit cancer spread, lower overall cancer risk, and improve outcomes for patients — partly by enhancing immune surveillance and altering the tumor microenvironment.
Another scientific review explains that exercise impacts the metastatic cascade — from reducing tumor cell invasion to improving immune cell function that may clear circulating tumor cells before they establish new tumors elsewhere.
2. Exercise Alters Immune Function and Tumor Biology
Regular physical activity mobilizes immune cells like natural killer (NK) cells and T-cells, which are critical for fighting cancer. Long-term exercise has been shown to increase immune cell infiltration into tumors, potentially suppressing tumor growth and metastasis.
In addition, muscles release signaling molecules called myokines during exercise. Laboratory studies have found that myokines can slow cancer cell growth and may even interfere with processes that help cancer spread.
3. Exercise Improves Survival and Reduces Recurrence
Some of the most compelling evidence comes from large human studies:
• An international randomized trial involving nearly 900 colon cancer survivors showed that those in a structured exercise program had 28% fewer cancer recurrences and 37% fewer deaths over long-term follow-up compared to less active participants.
• Meta-analyses of multiple studies indicate that patients who are physically active after a cancer diagnosis tend to have significantly better survival outcomes across several cancer types, including breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers.
Large epidemiological studies also show that higher levels of habitual physical activity before and after diagnosis are linked with decreased progression and lower cancer-specific mortality — suggesting exercise as a powerful, modifiable factor in cancer prognosis.
4. Exercise Complementing Conventional Treatment
Preclinical evidence indicates that exercise can enhance the efficacy of standard cancer therapies (e.g., chemotherapy or targeted therapies) in animal studies, though clinical confirmation in humans is still emerging.
This change may be due to changes in blood flow, metabolism, inflammation, and immune function that render tumors more responsive to treatment.
Putting It Into Practice
Experts typically recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week (notice the words are moderate-intensity. It’s not just taking a stroll around the block).
You also need to include resistance training in your exercise program. Oncologists are increasingly viewing tailored exercise programs as part of comprehensive care — not just optional extra credit.
Conclusion
So…it turns out that exercise is one of the most powerful lifestyle tools we have to slow cancer progression, reduce metastasis risk, and improve survival. Not too shabby an outcome for investing 3 or 4 hours a week into stopping cancer in its tracks!
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