HoldsUp

Kerry Courneya

Kerry Courneya, PhD, is a researcher studying the effects of exercise and physical activity in cancer care and survivorship. His research evaluates the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of various structured exercise interventions—such as aerobic, resistance, and high-intensity interval training—in patients with cancers including breast, colorectal, prostate, bladder, and endometrial cancer. His publications investigate outcomes related to cancer survival, treatment tolerance, health-related fitness, quality of life, and the economics of exercise interventions.

61 claims checked on air: 1 contradicted 2 overstated 54 supported 4 unverified

What they said on air - unverified

6 citing their own research

0:46:40unverifiedvery lowThe Science of Exercise for Cancer | Kerry Courneya, PhD

Hypoxic tumors are less radiosensitive than well-oxygenated tumors.

"That's critical because radiation therapy is effective with well-oxygenated tumors. If they are hypoxic tumors, they're not radiosensitive." (said at 0:46:40)

No published record matching the claim that hypoxic tumors are less radiosensitive than well-oxygenated tumors was located; this does not prove the claim false.

1:18:45unverifiedvery lowThe Science of Exercise for Cancer | Kerry Courneya, PhD

A small number of studies have found that exercise interventions exacerbated fatigue in cancer patients.

"And in a couple studies, it's shown it's made fatigue worse." (said at 1:18:45)

No published record matching the claim that exercise interventions exacerbated fatigue in cancer patients was located; this does not prove the claim false.

1:29:15unverifiedvery lowThe Science of Exercise for Cancer | Kerry Courneya, PhD

Surveys show that only 5% to 10% of cancer patients meet exercise guidelines during cancer treatment, which increases to 30% to 40% after treatment completion.

"And when we ask during treatments in some of our studies, no more than 5 to 10% of patients were meeting the exercise guidelines during treatments. Bumps up to 30 to 40% after treatments." (said at 1:29:15)

No published record matching the specific survey figures stating that only 5% to 10% of cancer patients meet physical activity guidelines during treatment and 30% to 40% meet them post-treatment was located; this does not prove the claim false.

1:37:52unverifiedvery lowThe Science of Exercise for Cancer | Kerry Courneya, PhD

In preclinical animal models, exercise accelerates tumor growth in approximately 10% of studies.

"there's a few preclinical animal models showing that exercise makes some tumors grow more quickly... It's about 10% of the studies. So the majority show exercise slows the growth and spread; about 10% are showing this um tumors is growing more quickly." (said at 1:37:52)

No published record matching the claim that exercise accelerates tumor growth in approximately 10% of preclinical animal studies was located; this does not prove the claim false. While systematic reviews of in vivo preclinical exercise oncology document that physical exercise generally slows tumor growth in a majority of animal models with occasional neutral or tumor-promoting effects reported depending on experimental parameters, the specific statistic of 10% across preclinical studies was not confirmed in published literature.

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