The landmark CHALLENGE trial has revealed that a 3-year structured, behaviourally supported exercise intervention substantially improves both disease-free and overall survival in patients with resected phase II–III colon cancer, marking a genuine paradigm shift in survivorship care. By demonstrating modification of the course of disease rather than merely symptom alleviation, these results elevate exercise from ancillary support to evidence-based therapy and should compel oncology teams to embed expert-guided exercise into routine care.
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Acknowledgements
J. Y. Jeon acknowledges support by the Yonsei Signature Research Cluster Project (2024-22-0009).
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Jeon, J.Y. Exercise as a new therapeutic modality in oncology: CHALLENGE trial refines survivorship care. Nat Rev Clin Oncol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-025-01071-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-025-01071-5
