Healthy Diet and Exercise Reduce Colon Cancer Recurrence

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Erin Van Blarigan, ScD
Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
UC San Francisco

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: There are over 1.3 million colorectal cancer survivors in the United States. Cancer survivors often seek guidance on what they can do to lower their risk of cancer recurrence and death. In response to patient interest and the need for improved survivorship care, the American Cancer Society (ACS) published guidelines on nutrition and physical activity for cancer survivors.

The guidelines are to:
1) achieve and maintain a healthy body weight;
2) engage in regular physical activity; and
3) achieve a dietary pattern that is high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

Response: Colon cancer patients who adhered to the ACS Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines had a 42% lower risk of death than patients who did not adhere to the guidelines.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Colon cancer patients who maintain a healthy body weight, engage in regular physical activity, and eat a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains may lower their risk of cancer recurrence and death.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Our research team is conducting clinical trials to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of digital health lifestyle interventions for colorectal cancer patients. If our interventions are acceptable and useful to patients, we will test their impact on risk of cancer recurrence and mortality in future studies.

No disclosures

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Citation:

ASCO 2017 abstract:

American Cancer Society (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines after colon cancer diagnosis and disease-free (DFS), recurrence-free (RFS), and overall survival (OS) in CALGB 89803

Author(s): Erin Van Blarigan, Charles S. Fuchs, Donna Niedzwiecki, Xing Ye, Sui Zhang, Mingyang Song, Leonard Saltz, Robert J. Mayer, Rex B. Mowat, Renaud Whittom, Alexander Hantel, Al Bowen Benson, Daniel M. Atienza, Michael J. Messino, Hedy L. Kindler, Alan P. Venook, Shuji Ogino, Walter C. Willett, Edward L. Giovannucci, Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt; University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Partners CancerCare, Boston, MA; Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC; Duke University, Durham, NC; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA; Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Toledo Clinic, Toledo, OH; Hospital Sacre-Coeur de Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; Edward Cancer Center, Naperville, IL; Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Virginia Oncology Associates, Suffolk, VA; Cancer Care of WNC PA, Asheville, NC; University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on June 6, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD