Nutrition and Exercise as Key Allies in Long-Term Cancer Survival

In 2022, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its nutrition and activity guidelines for cancer survivors, advising them to maintain a healthy weight, stay active, eat well, and limit alcohol consumption (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention

Go to source). Now, new research from ACS scientists reveals that following these recommendations is linked to reduced mortality risk among non-smoking survivors of obesity-related cancers in the U.S. The study also found that survivors who adopted or sustained healthy habits before and after diagnosis had better survival outcomes. The findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).

Cancer Diagnosis as a Catalyst

“A cancer diagnosis often motivates people to think about how they can live healthier lives. Many survivors want to know what lifestyle changes they can make to improve their chances of living longer,” said Dr. Ying Wang, senior principal scientist, epidemiology research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the study. “These findings underscore how making the right lifestyle choices truly affects cancer survival.”

Researchers analyzed the lifestyle habits of non-smoking participants from the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort diagnosed with obesity-related cancers between 1992 and 2002 through 2020. Post-diagnosis adherence to ACS guidelines—body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diet, and alcohol consumption—was scored on a scale from 0 to 8. Models were used to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Study results showed among 3,742 cancer survivors (average age 67.6 years) with a median follow-up of 15.6 years, 2,430 deaths occurred. Survivors with a score of 6-8 had a 24% lower risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 0.76; 95% CI = 0.68 to 0.85), a 33% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality (HR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.54 to 0.83), and a 21% lower risk of cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.79; 95% CI = 0.64 to 0.97) compared to those with a score of 0-3.

Higher BMI and physical activity scores were associated with lower all-cause mortality. Additionally, survivors who improved their score from low to high had lower all-cause mortality.

Reference:

1. American Cancer Society Guideline for Diet and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention - (https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/diet-physical-activity/acs-guidelines-nutrition-physical-activity-cancer-prevention.html)

Source-Eurekalert