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Update on the Colon Health and Life-Long Exercise Change Trial: A Phase III Study of the Impact of an Exercise Program on Disease-Free Survival in Colon Cancer Survivors

  • Adjuvant Therapy for Colon Cancers (AB Benson III and A de Gramont, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Colorectal Cancer Reports

Abstract

The Colon Health and Life-Long Exercise Change (CHALLENGE) trial is evaluating the effects of a 3-year exercise program on disease-free survival in 962 patients with resected high-risk stage II or stage III colon cancer. The purpose of this commentary is to provide an update on the CHALLENGE trial. As of December 31, 2013, the trial had randomized 250 patients in 20 Canadian centers and 26 Australian centers, with further expansion planned. Early barriers to accrual are reported and strategies to improve accrual are discussed. Of the 250 patients randomized to date, 89 % have stage III colon cancer, 56 % were treated with leucovorin/5-fluorouracil/oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy, 58 % have a body mass index of at least 27.5 kg/m2, 53 % are women, and the median age is 60 years. The CHALLENGE trial remains the only randomized controlled trial in colon cancer survivors that is examining the effects of an exercise program on disease-free survival.

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Acknowledgments

Kerry S. Courneya is supported by the Canada Research Chairs Program. Christine M. Friedenreich is supported by a Health Senior Scholar Award from Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions and through the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s Weekend to End Women’s Cancers Breast Cancer Chair. The Colon Health and Life-Long Exercise Change trial is funded in Canada by the Canadian Cancer Society and in Australia by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

Compliance with Ethics Guidelines

ᅟ

Conflict of Interest

Kerry S. Courneya, Janette Vardy, Sharlene Gill, Derek Jonker, Patti O’Brien, Christine M. Friedenreich, Haryana Dhillon, Rebecca K.S. Wong, Ralph M. Meyer, Jennifer J. Crawford, Kristin L. Campbell, Harry Prapavessis, Christopher O’Callaghan, Jane Turner, Lissa M. Spencer, Hidde P. van der Ploeg, Dongsheng Tu, and Christopher M. Booth declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, E-488 Van Vliet Center, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H9, Canada

    Kerry S. Courneya & Jennifer J. Crawford

  2. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Janette Vardy, Haryana Dhillon, Jane Turner & Hidde P. van der Ploeg

  3. British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, Canada

    Sharlene Gill

  4. The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Center, Ottawa, Canada

    Derek Jonker

  5. Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

    Patti O’Brien, Christopher O’Callaghan, Dongsheng Tu & Christopher M. Booth

  6. Alberta Health Services, Calgary, Canada

    Christine M. Friedenreich

  7. Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Canada

    Rebecca K. S. Wong

  8. Juravinski Hospital and Cancer Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada

    Ralph M. Meyer

  9. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Kristin L. Campbell

  10. Western University, London, Canada

    Harry Prapavessis

  11. Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia

    Lissa M. Spencer

  12. VU University Medical Center, University of Sydney, Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Hidde P. van der Ploeg

Authors
  1. Kerry S. Courneya
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  2. Janette Vardy
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  3. Sharlene Gill
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  4. Derek Jonker
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  7. Haryana Dhillon
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  8. Rebecca K. S. Wong
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  9. Ralph M. Meyer
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  10. Jennifer J. Crawford
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  11. Kristin L. Campbell
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  13. Christopher O’Callaghan
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  14. Jane Turner
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  15. Lissa M. Spencer
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  16. Hidde P. van der Ploeg
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  17. Dongsheng Tu
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  18. Christopher M. Booth
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kerry S. Courneya.

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Courneya, K.S., Vardy, J., Gill, S. et al. Update on the Colon Health and Life-Long Exercise Change Trial: A Phase III Study of the Impact of an Exercise Program on Disease-Free Survival in Colon Cancer Survivors. Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep 10, 321–328 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-014-0231-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-014-0231-8

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