Health Education Materials With/Out a Physical Activity Program for Patients Who Have Undergone Treatment for High-Risk Stage II or Stage III Colon Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

* Completely resected histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the colon

  * High-risk stage II disease, including one of the following:

    * T4 lesions
    * Less than 12 sampled lymph nodes
    * Poorly differentiated histology
  * Stage III disease, defined as having at least one pathologically confirmed positive lymph node or one pathologically confirmed positive tumour deposit.
  * Synchronous primary colon cancer allowed
* Adjuvant chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer with a 5-fluorouracil- based regimen received with an intent to provide a complete course of treatment. While one current standard is 24 weeks of treatment, patients who are pre-planned to receive a shorter duration of chemotherapy, including as part of a research study will also be permitted. The actual treatment received may be less than 24 weeks; participants must have received a minimum of one treatment cycle.
* Chemotherapy must have been completed (i.e. last dose received) a minimum of 60 days and a maximum of 180 days prior to registration.
* Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) ≤ 5 μg/L
* Current physical activity levels do not meet the recommended guidelines (≥ 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous or ≥ 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity/week) as calculated using the Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ)
* Completion of chest x-ray or CT, and CT, MRI or ultrasound of abdomen within 60 days of registration; these imaging tests must not show evidence of metastatic or locally-recurrent colon cancer.
* Complete one of the following: (a) at least 2 stages of the submaximal exercise test with an acceptable heart rate and blood pressure response as defined in Appendix XII or (b) the 6 minute walk test with an acceptable heart rate and blood pressure response
* No rectal cancer

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

* ECOG performance status 0-1
* Absolute granulocyte count ≥ 1,000/mm³
* Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm³
* Hemoglobin ≥ 100 g/L
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN)
* Alkaline phosphatase \< 2.5 times ULN
* ALT \< 2 times ULN
* Not pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next 3 years
* Able (i.e., sufficiently fluent) and willing to effectively communicate with the physical activity consultant affiliated with the originating cancer center
* Able (i.e., sufficiently fluent in English or French) and willing to complete the patient-reported outcome questionnaires, social determinants of exercise measurement, health economics, and physical activity questionnaires and logs
* Able to complete the baseline exercise test
* No significant comorbid conditions precluding participation in a physical activity program as determined by the investigator
* Likely to participate in a physical activity program, as assessed by the investigator
* No history of other malignancies, except adequately treated nonmelanoma skin cancer, curatively treated in situ cancer of the cervix, other solid tumors, Hodgkin lymphoma, or non-Hodgkin lymphoma curatively treated with no evidence of disease for \> 5 years

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

* See Disease Characteristics
* No prior radiotherapy as a component of treatment for primary tumor
* No concurrent treatment with additional chemotherapy or radiation
* No concurrent treatment with any medications deemed by the investigator as likely to preclude participation in a physical activity program
* No concurrent anticancer treatment including chemotherapy, biological, or targeted agents