The CHALLENGE trial is the first large phase 3 randomized study demonstrating that structured exercise after adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improves disease-free survival in colon cancer.
Exercise intervention reduced hazard for disease recurrence, new primary cancers, or death by 28%, and showed consistent benefit in overall survival with a 37% reduction in mortality risk.
The exercise program was sustained over 3 years and implemented at 55 centers internationally, emphasizing feasibility in diverse clinical settings.
Some increased musculoskeletal adverse events were noted with exercise, highlighting the need for supervised, tailored programs to minimize risks.
