Cancer patients regularly receive advice on chemotherapy and scans, with barely a mention of workouts. Nina Agrawal reports in the New York Times on growing evidence that structured exercise programs can keep some cancers at bay and reduce costs, while remaining largely underfunded and inaccessible. A major randomized trial in colon cancer found that patients who did supervised exercise for three years were less likely to have the cancer return and were more likely to be alive eight years later. The price of the program is about $3,000 per person, and it has actually saved the health system money.
Despite this, insurers generally do not pay for “oncology practice,” leaving many patients dependent on philanthropy, hospital pilot projects, or YMCA programs. One big exception: The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center next year will begin offering a tailored exercise program to breast cancer patients as part of its employee health plan, in what its architect calls “a giant experiment.” If it works, it could help turn exercise into a standard treatment for cancer. Agrawal’s article, which includes the full data, patient testimonials and policy issues, can be viewed here.
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