A lifestyle consistent with the American Cancer Society (ACS) guidelines to maintain a healthy weight, engage in regular physical activity, and eat a diet rich in nutritious foods was associated with a lower risk of death in patients with colon cancer.

In 2001, the ACS first published guidelines for nutrition during and after cancer treatment; these were last updated in 2012.

But whether patients with colon cancer who follow the ACS Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors have improved survival is unknown.

992 patients with stage III (spread to nearby lymph nodes) colon cancer who were part of a chemotherapy randomised trial from 1999 through 2001

ACS guideline scores from 0 to 6 (higher score indicates healthier behaviours) for patients based on body mass index, physical activity and intake of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and red/processed meats, in addition to a score from 0 to 8 that included alcohol intake (exposures); chance of survival comparing patients with higher and lower ACS guideline scores (outcomes)

This was an observational study. Researchers were not intervening for purposes of the study and they cannot control natural differences that could explain study findings.

Among patients with colon cancer, a lifestyle in line with the ACS guidelines was associated with a lower risk of death.

The authors cannot conclude the associations are independent of a patient's prediagnosis lifestyle  or that changing behaviours after cancer diagnosis can achieve these results.

Source: JAMA Oncology