In 2022, the American Cancer Society (ACS) updated its nutrition and activity guidelines for cancer survivors, recommending to avoid obesity, to remain physically active, to eat a healthy diet and to limit the contribution of alcohol. New research by ACS scientists show that a lifestyle aligned with these guidelines is associated with a lower risk of mortality in non-smoke-fumers of obesity in the United States. The survivors who maintained a healthy lifestyle before and after their diagnosis – or those who improved their habits after the diagnosis – also had a lower risk of mortality. The study is released today in the National Cancer Institute Journal (JNI).
A cancer diagnosis often motivates people to think about how they can live a healthier life. Many survivors want to know what lifestyle changes they can bring to improve their chances of living longer. These results emphasize how to make the right lifestyle choices really affect the survival of cancer. “”
Dr. Ying Wang, principal principal scientist, research in epidemiology at American Cancer Society and the main study of the study
The researchers analyzed the lifestyle habits of non-fumers of the nutrition cohort of the study on the prevention of cancer-II diagnosed cancers linked to obesity between 1992 and 2002 to 2020. Ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIS).
The results of the study showed 3,742 cancer survivors (average age of 67.6 years) with median monitoring 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% 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 mortality in all causes of causes. Compared to survivors with a regularly low ACS guideline score (less than 5) before and after diagnosis, those with a systematically high (five or more) score had a lower cause of illness and lower cardiovascular. In addition, the survivors who improved their score from low to high had a mortality from all causes of lower causes.
The other ACS researchers contributing to this study include Christina Newton, Dr. Marjorie McCullough, Dr. Lauren Teras, Dr Clara Bodelon, Dr. Erika Rees-Punia, Dr. Caroline Um, Dr Laura Makaroff and the main author of Dr. Alpa Patel.