Abstract
BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most diagnosed malignancy worldwide and a frequent comorbidity among these patients is type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The coexistence of these conditions poses significant challenges to glycemic management, particularly during chemotherapy. AIM: To assess the effects of individualized exercise training (IET) on glycemic control and nutritional status in patients with T2DM undergoing chemotherapy for CRC. METHODS: In this retrospective study, clinical data from 245 patients with T2DM and on chemotherapy for CRC between November 2023 and December 2024 were analyzed. Patients were stratified into two groups according to their treatment regimens: The standard care (SC) group (n = 111), which received conventional chemotherapy and diabetes management, and an IET group (n = 134), which received additional personalized exercise interventions alongside SC. Parameters assessed included fasting plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, glycemic variability indices, nutritional biomarkers, markers of intestinal permeability, and adverse events. RESULTS: Patients in the IET group demonstrated significant improvements in glycemic control, nutritional biomarkers, and glycemic variability (all P < 0.05), compared with the SC group. The markers of intestinal permeability also improved significantly in the IET group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, no statistically significant difference in the incidence of adverse events was found between the two groups (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that individualized exercise interventions can enhance metabolic, nutritional, and gastrointestinal outcomes without increasing treatment-related risks. CONCLUSION: Personalized exercise training may offer clinically meaningful benefits in glycemic regulation and nutritional status for patients with T2DM and on chemotherapy for CRC.