Being active doesn’t have to mean joining a gym or changing your routine altogether. It can be as simple as taking a walk before starting the work day, cycling to the shops, playing in the park with children, getting in the garden or exploring a local park. A few extra minutes of movement can soon add up, helping you stay active and feel your best throughout the summer.
The benefits of making the most of longer days
Moving more isn’t just a great way to enjoy the longer days of summer. It can also bring important health benefits.
Research shows that being active can help lower the risk of three types of cancer: breast, bowel and womb cancer. We know this from the evidence gathered through World Cancer Research Fund’s CUP Global research programme.
For people living with cancer, being active can also help improve fatigue and support a healthy immune system. Even a few extra minutes of activity throughout the day can benefit your health.
Being active often can also:
- support healthy bones and muscles
- support a healthy weight
- improve sleep
- improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety
- lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease
So, this summer, make some time to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and find activities that you enjoy. You might be surprised how good a little extra movement can make you feel.
Simple ways to get active this summer
Looking for inspiration? Summer can be a great time to try something new, revisit an old activity you enjoyed or simply spend more time outdoors. There are plenty of ways to build more activity into your week, whether you have ten minutes to spare or a whole afternoon free:
- Explore a canal path, riverside walk or nature trail you haven’t visited before
- Join a local walking group and connect with others
- Try a free outdoor fitness session in your area
- Play outdoor sports or games such as tennis, football, rounders or frisbee
- Use outdoor gym equipment in your local park, such as hand bikes, which are often free and accessible
- Go for a swim or give water aerobics a try
- Spend time gardening
- Walk or cycle to the shops
- Play outdoor games with children or grandchildren
If the weather is too hot, you can still be active indoors. Try chair-based activities such as seated marching, arm circles and stretching to keep moving while staying cool and comfortable.
Find out more ways to get active – see our guide to Moving more
Being safe in the summer sun
A little sunshine can make a walk, bike ride or day outdoors feel even more enjoyable.
Sunlight helps our bodies make vitamin D, which is important for healthy bones, teeth and a well-functioning immune system. But it’s important to enjoy the sun safely too. Too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.
A few simple steps can help protect your skin:
- Be in the shade when the sun is strongest (between 11am and 3pm)
- Cover up with light clothing
- Wear a hat and UV-protective sunglasses
- Use and reapply sunscreen with at least sun protective factor (SPF) 30 and 4-star UVA rating
- Take breaks from direct sunlight
If it’s particularly hot, try to be active earlier in the morning or later in the evening when it’s a bit cooler. You’ll be more comfortable while still enjoying time outdoors.
Keeping hydrated while being active
Warmer weather and being more active means sweating a lot, so it’s easy to become dehydrated without realising it. Keep a reusable water bottle with you so you drink more water throughout the day.
You can also get extra hydration from water-rich foods, such as:
- Watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, courgettes and strawberries
- Smoothies with fruit
- Chilled soups, such as gazpacho
For most people, water is all that’s needed to stay hydrated during everyday summer activities. Sports and electrolyte drinks are usually not needed unless you’re doing very intense exercise or have been advised to use them by a health professional.
Summertime offers a great opportunity to get outdoors and move your body more. By being more active, protecting your skin and staying hydrated, you can support your health and help lower your cancer risk. So why not try something new this summer and see where it takes you?
What’s your favourite way to be active?
Everyone has their own way of moving more, whether that’s in the warm summer or colder winter months.
We’re looking for real experiences to help shape our physical activity and cancer prevention resources to inspire others to find activities they enjoy. By sharing your story, you could help someone else take their first step towards a more active lifestyle.
Ready to inspire others? Share your story
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Our Cancer and Nutrition Helpline is staffed by oncology dietitians who help people living with cancer and their loved ones find their way through the maze of misinformation about nutrition after a diagnosis.
Our dietitians are asked about cancer and nutrition myths more than any other subject. Here are a few of the questions they answer most often.
“I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer. What can I do to help myself before my treatment starts?” – Dave
Receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming. It can also feel like you’re losing some of your independence as your calendar fills with hospital appointments. But there are steps you can take yourself to look after your health before treatment begins.
Healthy changes will stand you in good stead as you go through treatment so it’s helpful to make a start as soon as you can. That means following a healthy, balanced diet, being physically active and looking after your mental health. Ask your cancer care team for advice and let them know about any changes you’re making.
Some cancer centres run prehabilitation programmes designed to help you prepare for treatment in the days or weeks before it starts. Prehab programmes typically focus on your general health, including your diet and how active you are, and your emotional wellbeing. Their goal is to get you in the best state possible for treatment.
There’s increasing evidence of the benefits of prehab for people living with cancer. It can reduce your side effects or help you cope better with side effects linked to your treatment. It can shorten the time you need to spend recovering in hospital. And, sometimes, being fitter can mean you’re offered treatments you wouldn’t otherwise be suitable for.
You don’t need to take part in an official hospital prehab programme to benefit from making healthy changes and looking after your general health, but make sure you’re using information from a robust, evidence backed source like World Cancer Research Fund, the NHS website or other trusted information creators showing the PIF TICK symbol.
See it as taking steps to invest in your health which will not only bolster you to cope better with treatment, but also help with your recovery and lay foundations for healthy habits in the future.
“I’ve seen cancer-fighting diets advertised online. What’s your advice?” – Bernice
You may come across ‘fad diets’ which claim they can fight cancer and, with claims like that, it’s not surprising if they grab your attention. That’s exactly what they are designed to do, but there’s no scientific evidence that following any particular diet can cure cancer or replace cancer treatments.
Cancer and cancer treatment can be tough on your body so it’s really important that you give your body the energy (calories) and nutrients it needs. Some ‘fad diets’ suggest you restrict yourself to particular foods or cut out whole food groups like carbohydrates or dairy. These diets might stop you getting what your body needs and they aren’t backed by reliable scientific evidence.
It’s much safer to stick to a healthy, balanced diet before, during and after cancer treatment. If you have questions about healthy eating, ask your cancer care team or contact our Cancer and Nutrition Helpline – you can pick up the phone or drop them a line.
“Is a vegan diet a good idea during cancer treatment?” – Becky
There’s no evidence to suggest that a vegan or plant-based diet gives you any advantages during cancer treatment compared to a diet that includes animal products.
We do know that eating plenty of plant-based foods like fruit, veg, pulses (like beans, chickpeas or lentils) and wholegrains (like brown rice, bread and pasta) can help give your body essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals and fibre.
So a vegan diet isn’t something you need to avoid as long as there’s enough variety in what you eat so your body can fight infection, cope with treatment side effects and minimise weight loss. That means you need to make sure you get enough energy (calories), protein, vitamins and minerals.
Going vegan sometimes means you can struggle to get everything your body needs and to keep to a healthy weight, especially as cancer and cancer treatments can make you feel sick or affect your appetite. But a vegan diet which includes a variety of different foods can be a good substitute for an animal-based diet if it gives you enough energy and you don’t miss out on any essential nutrients.
If you’re following a vegan diet or want to swap to one, it’s a good idea to speak to a dietitian to check you’re still getting all the nutrients your body needs.
“Will taking supplements help me during my cancer treatment?” – Ian
Most people don’t need to take dietary supplements as long as they’re following a healthy balanced diet, and that includes people who are living with cancer. Some supplements can be harmful, increasing tumour growth, and some can interfere with how chemotherapy and radiotherapy work.
Let your cancer care team know about any supplements you’re taking, including the doses. That includes homeopathic, natural or herbal remedies. Even if a supplement is made from plants and seems natural, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. You should only take supplements that your doctor or dietitian has said are ok for you.
Even multivitamin supplements which include a wide range of nutrients will not give you all the benefits of substances naturally found in foods like fibre.
If you can’t manage to eat very much or you can’t eat a healthy balanced diet because of your cancer or the side effects of treatment, you might need advice from your doctor or a dietitian.
They can check if you’re missing out on essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals like iron and give you advice on how to top up on the nutrients you need. That may be through a small change to your diet or they may prescribe a supplement that’s safe to take during treatment.
Examples are calcium and vitamin D to support your bone health or protein-rich drinks or powder to give your body enough protein to repair itself when you are unwell.
“I heard that sugar makes cancer grow more quickly so should I try and cut it out completely?” – Kam
There’s no strong evidence to show that avoiding sugar can stop cancer cells growing or that sugar directly causes cancer. So the answer’s no, you don’t need to avoid sugar entirely.
Sugar comes into our diet from different sources. You don’t only find sugar in foods like cakes and biscuits, in soft drinks or added to savoury foods like soups and ready meals. It’s also found naturally in foods like fruit and milk.
If you decided to restrict all the sugar you have, of all types, that could mean limiting how much fruit and veg you eat. We know that having a mix of fruit and veg is important to give you the vitamins and minerals you need to help with your recovery.
Instead, for a healthy balanced diet, we recommend that you limit how much added sugar you have. That’s the sugar in sugar-sweetened syrups, cakes, biscuits, chocolate and full-sugar soft drinks. It’s also the sugar you often find in ready-made soups, sauces, ketchup and ready meals. You’ll see if these foods have had sugar added on the ingredients list on the packaging.
You don’t need to cut down on the sugars in fruit and milk because they are digested slower than added sugar and also come with other nutrients like fibre, vitamins and minerals.
It’s a good idea to try to limit the added sugar in your diet because over time the excess calories can affect your weight. We know that living with overweight or obesity increases your risk of cancer.
There can be exceptions to this. If your appetite is poor or you’re having cancer treatment and are losing weight without intending to, foods with added sugar can be useful to help you get enough calories to regain a healthy weight. A dietitian can advise if this would help you and can give you tips on which foods to choose.
Cancer and Nutrition Helpline
Looking for trusted nutrition advice after a cancer diagnosis? Our FREE Cancer and Nutrition Helpline offers expert answers and practical support for people living with cancer and those who care for them.
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This week, World Cancer Research Fund released new findings showing that 44% of patient-facing NHS staff encounter inaccurate or misleading information about nutrition and supplements at least once per week.
I am part of the 44%. Every week in my GP surgery, I see the consequences of health misinformation.
My patients arrive clutching newspaper stories, social media screenshots, printouts from wellness websites or saved videos from TikTok.
They are not reckless people, quite the opposite. They want better support for their treatment and to regain a sense of control.
Why “natural” doesn’t always mean safe
What worries me is not one miracle pill or herbal supplement. It’s the widely held belief that if something is sold over the counter, marked as “natural” or endorsed online, then it must automatically be safe. As doctors, we know that simply is not true.
Indeed, the full research for the action week shows that 42% of UK adults trust the health claims of products if they are legally sold in the UK.
There is also the dangerous assumption that “natural” means harmless, while prescribed medicines are somehow toxic. As I explain to patients, many of the medicines we rely on today originated from plants.
Nature can heal, but it can harm too. Doses matter, interactions matter and most of all, evidence matters.
Why health misinformation thrives online
In the digital age, separating evidence-based advice from misinformation has become extraordinarily difficult. We are bombarded with persuasive health claims, “life-changing” testimonials and confident voices that insist they have discovered what doctors do not want you to know.
I am incredibly cautious when someone is trying to sell certainty, especially when pushing a product.
Good doctors and other healthcare professionals do not make promises. We weigh up evidence, discuss risks and acknowledge the unknowns. Anyone claiming to hold “secret cures” or hidden truths should be approached with caution.
Because there is science and then there is science distorted, cherry-picked or stripped of context to put a price tag on hope.
Why false hope can be so powerful
This hope is a powerful currency. I know it not only as a doctor, but as a cancer patient myself.
When I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in my late thirties, I truly understood what vulnerability feels like. I would have done anything to get better, stay better and be with my children for longer.
People prey on this vulnerability.
The risks with supplements
As doctors, we talk about the importance of lifestyle factors because they matter: physical activity, diet, sleep, alcohol, weight. If I could prescribe exercise on the green prescription slip, I would.
On the contrary, the desire to improve our health can sometimes make us susceptible to oversimplified solutions or misleading claims. I have witnessed patients taking supplements that interfere with prescribed medication, or herbal remedies causing severe side effects on the skin and liver.
This is why it is so important to discuss any supplements, vitamins or alternative remedies with a healthcare professional.
You should never feel embarrassed about raising these conversations with your doctor. In my consultations, I want to make it as clear as possible: we are on the same team, and we both want you to get better.
Why questions are a good thing
No doctor knows everything; my patients teach me things every day. I have huge respect for informed for informed, curious people who ask questions and want to know more about their health.
In fact, I would trust a doctor who says “I don’t know, but let me find out” 100 times over one that claims to know all the answers.
How to spot health misinformation
When health information feels overwhelming or confusing, there are three simple steps you can take:
1. Pause before believing dramatic claims
Be sceptical of quick fixes, miracle cures and claims that sound too good to be true.
Take extra care if someone is selling a product alongside their advice.
2. Use trusted, evidence-based sources
Look for information from reputable organisations like World Cancer Research Fund.
They have developed a practical tool, called the TRUST Test, to help people assess health information before it causes harm.
3. Speak to a healthcare professional
You do not always have to speak to your GP.
Pharmacists, for example, are a valuable and accessible source of advice when it comes to medicine, supplements and the potential interactions between them.
Looking to a better future
Social media and the internet has transformed access to health information. At its best, it empowers people. At its worst, it leaves people vulnerable to exploitation, confusion and harm.
Good healthcare should never begin with fear or false promises. It should be built on honesty, evidence and trust.
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Health misinformation is widespread. Many people are still unaware that alcohol is a Group 1 carcinogen, linked to at least 7 different cancers including breast and bowel. This is unsurprising when you consider the alcohol industry’s long documented history of downplaying these well-established risks.
What’s more, alcohol is an outlier when it comes to labelling. Did you know that there is more legally required information on a bottle of water than on a bottle of alcohol? This is despite the serious harm alcohol can do, and the clear evidence that when it comes to cancer there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Cancer warnings on alcohol labels
To counter this and ensure people have access to clear, evidence-based information, World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and Balance are campaigning for a cancer warning to be included on the UK Government’s forthcoming mandatory alcohol labels, as outlined in our guest blog – It’s time to expose the great alcohol hoax. It is also imperative that industry-backed messaging such as ‘drink responsibly’ are removed, and that the policy is protected from industry influence more broadly.
The reality is that mandatory labels will take some time to come into force. In the meantime, WCRF has developed the TRUST Test, a simple tool to help people make sense of the health information they encounter online and separate fact from fiction. In our guest blog for Alcohol Change UK – Tackling persistent health misinformation on alcohol – we apply our TRUST Test to a common myth about red wine, showing how scientific research has been taken out of context.
Melissa Dando
The [red wine] myth originates from a study which found that a large amount of resveratrol, an antioxidant in the skin of purple and red grapes and therefore present in red wine, supported heart health in mice. The reality is that one would have to drink between 100 and 1,000 glasses of red wine a day to get anywhere near the amount of resveratrol equivalent to the doses that improved heart health in mice.
Health professionals also have a vital role to play. That’s why we’re calling for the upcoming NHS 10 Year Workforce Plan to provide additional staffing capacity and training on cancer prevention. This will help ensure that nurses and other patient-facing staff have the time and skills to counter the health misinformation, including on alcohol, that patients are increasingly bringing to their routine appointments.
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Despite widespread use of dietary supplements, research has shown that taking supplements does not reduce the risk of cancer. Instead, the strongest evidence continues to support following healthy lifestyle recommendations, including eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight and being physically active.
In our guest blog for MyNutriWeb, we explore common beliefs about supplements and cancer prevention, and highlight the challenges health professionals face when helping patients navigate conflicting nutrition information.
Why food comes first
While vitamins and minerals are essential for good health, experts recommend obtaining them through food wherever possible. Whole foods contain a complex mix of nutrients and other beneficial compounds that work together in ways supplements cannot replicate.
Rachel Clark
We recommend that people do not use supplements for cancer prevention. When it comes to cancer prevention, for most people, eating a healthy, balanced diet is more likely to help protect against cancer than taking dietary supplements.
Supporting informed conversations
With nutrition misinformation widely available online, health professionals have an important role in helping people understand what the evidence shows about supplements and cancer prevention.
The NutriWeb article provides practical insights to support evidence-based conversations and reinforces the importance of promoting healthy dietary patterns rather than relying on supplements.
What does reduce the risk of cancer?
While supplements do not prevent cancer, our cancer prevention guidance is grounded in decades of global research into diet, weight, physical activity and cancer.
We bring together the best available evidence to help people make informed choices – without hype or false promises.
Healthy dietary patterns, such as sustainable plant-based diets which prioritise vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, continue to show more consistent associations with cancer prevention than isolated supplements.
Learn more
To explore the evidence in more detail, join our webinar, Supplements versus food: What the evidence says about cancer prevention, which will examine the latest research and provide practical guidance for health professionals.
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One of the biggest health challenges of our time
Health misinformation is not a new challenge, but its scale and impact have increased significantly in recent years. At World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), we are increasingly concerned about the ways in which misleading and inaccurate health information is hindering the public’s understanding of cancer risk, preventing cancer, and survivorship.
The rate at which misinformation is generated and disseminated has increased exponentially in recent years, driven primarily through increased use of social media and the rise of influencers, celebrities, and others sharing health advice online without formal scientific or medical training. This is having real-world consequences with attention diverted away from what we know reduces cancer risk, to promises of quick fixes and miracle cures.
That is why this year for Cancer Prevention Action Week (CPAW), we’re launching a three-year campaign to tackle health misinformation.
To kick off the campaign, CPAW 2026 will focus on sharing the latest evidence on cancer prevention relating to diet, supplements and alcohol. We will also raise awareness of trusted sources and promote WCRF’s practical guides that provide clear and up-to-date information people can incorporate into their daily lives.
In recognition that the issue of health misinformation is a systemic one, WCRF will also set out policy recommendations to address its causes over the course of the campaign. In 2026, these focus on supporting healthcare professionals to counter health misinformation, with future years likely to focus on addressing its causes.
Support for health professionals
Polling commissioned by WCRF highlights the burden health misinformation relating to cancer prevention and survivorship is placing on healthcare professionals. The forthcoming NHS Workforce Plan is a key opportunity to ease this burden.
First, the Plan must increase the number of patient-facing staff, such as general practice nurses, to improve patient access and allow time for conversations about cancer prevention during routine appointments.
Secondly, the Plan must help ensure that healthcare professionals are equipped with the latest information on nutrition, alcohol and physical activity as it relates to cancer. This can be done by embedding protected time for training within workforce planning. Crucially, the NHS Workforce Plan should also encourage education bodies to include cancer prevention and survivorship training in both pre-registration education and as part of continuing professional development (CPD).
The Plan must also recognise the ability to identify and respond to health misinformation as a core skill for patient-facing staff. Crucially, any increase in training must not simply add to existing pressures – instead training must be supported by additional staffing capacity and protected learning time.
Finally, there are many great resources on cancer prevention and survivorship that can support patient-facing healthcare professionals. For example, WCRF’s Alcohol and cancer: Let’s talk guide on how to have conversations with patients about alcohol and cancer can be particularly useful. Guides for the public, such as our 10 ways to protect yourself against cancer poster, provide clear, simple information that can support discussions with patients.
We also host a range of free, CPD certified webinars for health professionals, with one on supplements taking place on Wednesday 24 June – register for your place.
Addressing the drivers of health misinformation
While healthcare professionals have an important role to play in countering health misinformation, the responsibility does not rest solely with them. Instead, a broader, system-wide response is needed.
We know that around 40% of cancer cases in the UK are preventable. The evidence is clear: eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity, and limiting alcohol reduce cancer risk. Yet online, this evidence competes daily with a vast and growing volume of content promoting fad diets, ‘anti-cancer’ supplements, detox regimens, and misleading claims about alcohol. Often commercially motivated and algorithmically amplified, this content frequently promises miracle cures and quick fixes.
The bottom line is that it’s unreasonable to expect people to navigate the overwhelming amount of health misinformation online without any safeguards. Currently, regulations in the UK permit ‘legal but harmful content’, which includes health misinformation. For example, an influencer promoting a supplement which they claim can cure cancer is producing content that is legal, despite it being harmful and untrue. This is unacceptable.
Algorithmic amplification then exacerbates the issue of legal but harmful content. A platform hosting misleading health content passively is one thing, but algorithms and paid advertising actively feeding it to people searching for health advice is more serious. While individual users should be held liable for what they post online, the platforms they post on should also be responsible, especially with regard to the systems they use to moderate, circulate and amplify content.
These are some of the challenges that we will be looking to address as our misinformation campaign develops. In the meantime, we have developed the TRUST Test, a simple tool that can help health professionals and their patients make sense of the health misinformation they encounter.
Join our Cancer Prevention Action Week campaign
Health misinformation online is not an issue that has arisen overnight and it will not be solved quickly, but Cancer Prevention Action Week (15-21 June) is a crucial start. Find out more about the campaign and how to get involved by visiting wcrf.org/CPAW2026.
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Patient-facing NHS staff are regularly being asked about inaccurate or misleading nutrition and supplement claims, while people who rely on social media for news are more likely to believe some misleading cancer-prevention claims, according to our new research released for Cancer Prevention Action Week 2026.
The YouGov research we commissioned found that 44% of patient-facing NHS staff say patients raise inaccurate or misleading nutrition or supplement information at least once a week – 6% say this happens daily or almost daily.
Social media
We also found a mismatch between confidence and understanding online. While 62% of UK adults say they feel confident finding trustworthy nutrition information online, this rises to 72% among people whose main news source is social network websites.
Despite their confidence, the same primary users of social media are more likely to believe some inaccurate cancer-prevention claims. Compared with people whose main news source is not social media, they are:
- More likely to wrongly think that certain supplements can reduce cancer risk (15% vs 11%).
- More likely to wrongly think that certain foods or diets can “starve” cancer (13% vs 7%).
- Less likely to identify (correctly) that eating plenty of fibre can reduce cancer risk (48% vs 55%).
More broadly, our polling found that nearly 1 in 5 UK adults say detoxes or “cleanses” are good for health, while more than 1 in 5 spend over £10 a month on dietary supplements.
Our warning therefore is that misleading advice can distract people from everyday habits known to reduce cancer risk, such as eating sensibly, staying active and reducing alcohol use, at a time when around 4 in 10 cancer cases in the UK are preventable through such changes.
Launching our TRUST Test
As part of this year’s Cancer Prevention Action Week, themed Science Not Fiction, we are launching our TRUST Test – a simple tool to help people check health information before acting on it or sharing it.
Action on training and resources
We are also calling on the UK Government to use the NHS Workforce Plan to better equip frontline staff with evidence-based knowledge on nutrition, supplements, cancer prevention and survivorship – and ensure staff have the time, skills and knowledge to address misinformation in routine care.
Previous UK research in authoritative publications has found that more than 70% of medical students and doctors surveyed reported receiving fewer than two hours of nutrition training at medical school.
We are already working with medical schools at the Universities of Lincoln and Southampton to create practical teaching resources for tomorrow’s doctors on diet, weight and cancer risk. Its pilot scheme with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde also makes the charity’s Cancer and Nutrition Helpline part of many patients’ cancer care pathways.
Rachael Hutson, Chief Executive of World Cancer Research Fund, said:
“Too many people are trying to make important health decisions in a fog of online misinformation. When advice is confusing or misleading, it can take people away from the everyday habits we know help reduce cancer risk and towards claims that are exaggerated, distorted or simply untrue.
Our TRUST Test is there to help people feel more confident about what they see online because when it comes to cancer prevention, it should be based on science, not fiction.”
Dr Liz O’Riordan, former breast surgeon, three-time breast cancer patient, keynote speaker and author, who is supporting the campaign, said:
“As a breast surgeon and breast cancer patient, I know how overwhelming it can be trying to make sense of all the information out there. When something sounds hopeful, it’s very easy to think ‘why not try it too?’ even if it’s not based on solid evidence. A lot of this information sounds convincing, but it doesn’t always tell the full story.”
Cancer Prevention Action Week runs from 15–21 June 2026.
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New evidence, published today, shows that sticking to five lifestyle recommendations improves survival after a later cancer diagnosis.
The findings provide encouraging evidence that simple, achievable habits established before a cancer diagnosis can play a role in improving long-term health and the health of those following a cancer diagnosis.
The Cancer Prevention Recommendations analysed in the study include:
- Be a healthy weight
- Be physically active
- Eat wholegrains, vegetables, fruit and beans
- Limit red and processed meat
- Limit alcohol consumption
The latest research led by Newcastle University, UK, published in Cancer was funded by Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds, (WKOF) – the Netherlands-based charity within theWorld Cancer Research Fund International network of charities that also includes World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research.
The Recommendations were developed in 2018 by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) as evidence-based lifestyle guidance which aim to reduce cancer risk.
Although previous research in cancer survivors has indicated some positive effects, this new study provides the most comprehensive evidence to date of their association with improved survival for people living with and beyond cancer.
Professor John Mathers, Emeritus Professor of Human Nutrition at Newcastle University, who led the study, said:
“This research is incredibly exciting because, for the first time, we have shown that higher adherence to the WCRF/AICR 2018 Recommendations may reduce the risk of mortality for people diagnosed with cancer in a UK cohort.
The results of this paper add to an existing body of evidence on the WCRF/AICR Recommendations and cancer survivors and could be informative for those developing policies and clinical guidelines to improve health and longevity following a cancer diagnosis.”
Breaking down the results
The research team assessed the dietary and lifestyle data of 28,550 individuals who were assigned score points from 0-5 in relation to how closely the Recommendations were followed at the time of recruitment to the Biobank, prior to a cancer diagnosis. The UK Biobank is a large, population-based database, established to allow detailed investigations of the genetic and nongenetic determinants of the diseases of middle and old age.
Based on decades of research, the key WCRF/AICR Recommendations were developed in 2018.
The research team found that each 1-point increment in score, equivalent to fully meeting one Recommendation, was associated with an 8% lower chance of dying from any cause over time. Overall, having a score in the highest third of the study population was associated with a 16% lower chance of all-cause mortality, compared with those in the lowest third.
This association was consistent regardless of whether the individual smoked and also held true for multiple cancer types such as breast and liver cancers, suggesting broad survival benefits.
Calls for interventions for healthy living
The findings show that following a healthy lifestyle is not only important for cancer prevention but may also have implications for long-term health after a cancer diagnosis.
Dr Fiona Malcomson, researcher at Newcastle University and co-author of the paper said:
“The take home message is that the 2018 WCRF/AICR Cancer Prevention Recommendations apply to cancer survivors too. Having a healthier eating pattern, being more physically active and avoiding being too heavy, as described in the Recommendations, is associated with better long-term outcomes for those living with and beyond cancer.
The scientists behind the research suggest that these findings support prioritising the development of interventions to enhance adherence to the WCRF/AICR Recommendations– including after diagnosis – that may potentially lower mortality risk among people diagnosed with cancer. This means that cancer survivors can take action to improve their health and should be encouraged to do so by healthcare providers.”
Nadia Ameyah, Director of WKOF, the Netherland-based charity within WCRF International said:
“This tremendously exciting study further cements the status of our evidence-based Recommendations as one of the best ways of maintaining your health when living with and beyond cancer. We have always prided ourselves on the scientific grounding of our Recommendations for primary prevention, and this is the first time we have had such robust evidence for survivorship. Cancer survivorship and quality of life after cancer diagnosis are key priorities of WKOF.
We look forward to seeing how these findings will inform health policy and the design of healthcare interventions to help those living with and beyond cancer to live happier, healthier lives.”
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We commend the UK Government for setting out an ambitious 10-year strategy with a strong focus on survival, innovation, and patient experience.
Yet the Plan misses a chance to put prevention front and centre, with stronger alcohol policy, breastfeeding protection, and a dedicated focus on the modifiable risk factors that drive cancer
A bold ambition on survival and care
We particularly welcome the Government’s bold target that 75% of people diagnosed with cancer from 2035 will be cancer-free or living well five years after diagnosis – a genuine step change in ambition. The Plan’s emphasis on earlier diagnosis, reducing emergency presentations, expanding evidence-based screening, and improving access to innovative treatments has the potential to deliver meaningful improvements for patients across England.
We also welcome commitments to improve patient experience and outcomes, including personalised care, better coordination, and stronger accountability for delivery through a reformed National Cancer Board.
Progress on prevention – but a missed opportunity to go further
We welcome the Plan’s commitments on cancer prevention, including action to crack down on the illegal use of sunbeds and harmful UV exposure, progress towards a smoke-free generation, and expanded access to HPV vaccination as part of the ambition to eliminate cervical cancer. These are important, evidence-based interventions that will prevent cancers and reduce future pressure on the health system.
However, prevention deserves greater prominence. New global evidence shows that up to four in ten cancers worldwide are linked to preventable causes. Tackling the lifestyle and environmental factors that increase cancer risk is one of the most effective and affordable ways to prevent cancer in the long term.
Crucially, modifiable risk factors are not evenly distributed. Tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diets and obesity disproportionately affect people in lower socio-economic groups, driving stark and persistent inequalities in cancer incidence, survival and mortality. Strong, population-level prevention policies are therefore essential not only to reduce cancer overall, but to narrow health inequalities and ensure the benefits of progress are shared fairly.
We believe the Plan would have benefitted from a dedicated chapter on prevention, helping to drive a necessary mindset shift and embed the principle that diet, alcohol, and breastfeeding policies are cancer policies.
Action on alcohol and breastfeeding is lacking
The Plan does not expansively build on the wider prevention measures announced in the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan, particularly in relation to alcohol policy. Alcohol remains a leading avoidable cause of cancer, yet the Plan does not commit to minimum unit pricing (MUP) or restrictions on alcohol advertising and marketing, including where it reaches children and young people – among the most effective and evidence-based tools for reducing population-level alcohol harm and cancer risk.
We also note the absence of strengthened action to protect breastfeeding, including full compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. Breastfeeding reduces cancer risk for mothers and improves long-term health outcomes for children, and stronger implementation of the Code should form part of a comprehensive, life-course approach to cancer prevention.
Partnerships with food manufacturers must also be approached with caution, given past experience of policy dilution. Where voluntary approaches fall short, Government must not shy away from mandatory measures. Strong governance, transparency, and protection from undue commercial influence are essential to ensure prevention policies deliver for public health.
Biomedical innovation matters but it is not enough
We are pleased to see the Plan’s commitment to biomedical prevention, including continued rollout of the HPV vaccine, trials of preventative vaccines such as LungVax, and plans to accelerate uptake of GLP-1 medicines for those who clinically need them. These innovations are hugely important and represent real progress in reducing cancer risk and improving outcomes.
But vaccines and medicines alone are not sufficient. We must also tackle the environments that make us sick. We cannot continue to treat people only to send them back to the same food, alcohol, and physical environments that drove ill health in the first place. Population-level prevention policies remain essential to reducing cancer incidence at scale.
Crucially, prevention is not only about avoiding diagnosis. It also supports survival and quality of life, contributing directly to living well with and beyond cancer. Good nutrition, physical activity, and maintaining a healthy weight are fundamental to recovery, rehabilitation, and long-term wellbeing. Prevention and survivorship are not competing priorities – they are mutually reinforcing.
Digital innovation as a driver of prevention
We welcome the ambition to harness digital innovation through the NHS App. By 2028, the App will allow patients to manage screening invitations, appointments, treatment plans, and prehabilitation, with personalised prevention advice drawing on genomic, lifestyle, and wearable data.
This creates a major opportunity to establish the NHS App as a trusted, accessible source of cancer prevention information, supporting people to understand and act on behaviours that can influence cancer risk over their lifetime. We would welcome the opportunity to contribute evidence-based, tried and tested prevention resources, developed and evaluated for public audiences, to support this ambition and ensure alignment with the best available science.
Prehabilitation, rehabilitation and supportive oncology
We strongly welcome the Plan’s focus on prehabilitation, rehabilitation, and supportive oncology, including dietary and physical activity advice, psychological support, and acute oncology for those with more complex needs. The evidence is clear: these interventions improve treatment tolerance, recovery, and long-term outcomes. We believe the ambition should be for these services to be available to all patients, where appropriate, as standard.
Research and the cancer workforce
Research and the cancer workforce will be central to delivering the Plan’s ambitions. While we acknowledge the focus on accelerating clinical research and innovation, there is a clear opportunity to strengthen investment in cancer prevention research, including implementation research on modifiable risk factors. Healthcare professionals must also be supported with the time, training, and tools to deliver prevention, behaviour change, and survivorship support alongside treatment.
Children and young people
We welcome the Plan’s commitment to improving nutrition for children and young people undergoing cancer treatment in acute settings. Good nutrition is fundamental to treatment tolerance, recovery, and survival. We hope this approach will be extended to all patients, and that public procurement across health settings consistently meets the highest nutritional and sustainability standards through the upcoming NHS food standards review.
Matching survival ambition with prevention action
We welcome the ambition and scope of the National Cancer Plan. The integration of prehabilitation, rehabilitation, supportive oncology, digital innovation, and prevention advice into the cancer pathway is a significant step forward.
However, there remains a missed opportunity to embed prevention at the heart of the Plan, through stronger alcohol policy, breastfeeding protection, and a dedicated focus on the modifiable risk factors that drive cancer incidence.
A Plan that matches its ambition on survival with bold, population-level prevention action will reduce cancer incidence, improve outcomes, and deliver a financially sustainable cancer strategy for generations to come.
We stand ready to work with Government, healthcare professionals, and partners to help make this ambition a reality.
More policy-related news and blogs
At World Cancer Research Fund, we’re proud to launch Cook through cancer: Meals that matter, a new cookbook designed to support people living with and beyond cancer. The recipes were developed by Gopi Chandratheva, a Registered Nutritionist who specialises in creating nourishing and delicious recipes for a range of health-focused organisations.
In this blog, Gopi shares her inspiration for the cookbook and how she approached developing recipes for people affected by cancer.
Creating recipes with purpose
We asked Gopi to share what went into developing the recipes for the new Cook through cancer cookbook.
“When developing recipes, I usually start with a brief. For example, with World Cancer Research Fund, I had to make sure they are in line with their Recommendations and previous recipes, that they are budget-friendly, nutritious and easily accessible to people. It’s also important to make sure everyone can follow along, so I time every step out.
“I’ll start by brainstorming a few ideas for what I can create, and then discuss which ones they’re interested in. One key consideration today is ensuring that the ingredients are affordable, given how expensive groceries have become. I also want to keep the method simple, avoiding any complicated techniques. From start to finish, each recipe usually takes me a few days to develop.
“Working with World Cancer Research Fund was wonderful. I tried to be mindful of the challenges people going through cancer treatment can experience, especially with regards to changes in their sense of taste or possible feelings of nausea.
“With all the myths out there about cancer, I’m so glad to be able to use my skills to help people using real, evidence-based information that can help make tasty, nutritious meals.”
Cooking classes that make a difference
Gopi also delivers some of our Cook Through Cancer classes, free online cookery sessions for people living with and beyond cancer. These classes combine practical cooking demonstrations with expert nutrition support.
Gopi says, “The classes are really enjoyable. I was a bit nervous because it’s been a while since I’ve done live cooking sessions, but it was really fun and lively.”
Each class includes an Oncology Specialist Dietitian who answers participants’ questions with evidence-based advice. Gopi is pleased that the classes have been a success:
“The participants have really enjoyed it, and they always go away smiling – that’s the most important thing for me.”
Gopi’s favourite recipe
Gopi has a favourite recipe from the cookbook and the classes she delivers:
“My favourite recipe I’ve made for the classes is the Buddha bowl. It’s a go-to for me because it’s a balanced meal on its own but it’s so customisable.
“You can add whatever leftovers you have, as long as they fill the different categories of vegetables, protein, complex carbs and healthy fats, you have a complete meal with all the necessary food groups. Plus, it’s quick!”
Top tips for cooking during cancer treatment
Gopi shared her top tips for cooking during cancer treatment:
- Try to think about meal prepping. Stocking your pantry with tinned pulses means you have a great source of iron and protein right on hand to add to stews and soups.
- Stock up your freezer – it’s a great resource for keeping frozen fruit and veg and other ingredients that can help you make a meal in minutes.
- Batch cook and freeze your leftovers for an easy meal when you don’t feel up to cooking from scratch.
- Even something as simple as a slice of wholemeal toast with scrambled egg and spinach can make all the difference.
Get your copy
Whether you’re living with cancer, supporting someone who is or simply looking for nourishing recipes that are easy to prepare, Cook through cancer: Meals that matter is here to help.
Download your free copy or order a printed version today and start cooking meals that truly make a difference.
More about Gopi
When she isn’t devising tasty recipes, Gopi shares advice and information on healthy eating on Instagram. She also specialises in obesity and weight management providing one to ones, talks on nutrition, mentoring nutritionists and working for the NHS.
Gopi has been working in the nutrition field for many years with extensive experience and knowledge. She started working as a dietetic assistant in hospitals such as the Royal Marsden, where she developed her passion for helping those living with and beyond cancer.
Brought up in a family where food was central, Gopi has always been interested in food and health, and works hard to develop recipes that are as simple and delicious as they are good for you.
Find out more about Gopi: Her website | Follow her on Instagram
Recipes suitable for people living with cancer
We spoke to Dr Renate Winkels (pictured) and Dr Laura Winkens, at Wageningen University & Research, to discover more about their studies in bowel (also known as colorectal) cancer.
Your team looked at what influences people’s health behaviours after they’ve been treated for bowel cancer. What do you mean by health behaviours and what did you find out?
Health behaviours are the everyday choices people make that affect their health. In this study, we focused on 2 things:
- healthy eating (more fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans; and less fast food, red meat, processed meat, sugary drinks and alcohol)
- physical activity
For people who’ve had bowel cancer, healthy behaviour may be associated with living longer, feeling better and having fewer problems like fatigue.
However, in previous studies, we found that many bowel cancer survivors don’t make big changes after treatment. Survivors are dealing with side-effects from the cancer or its treatment (such as gastrointestinal problems, fatigue or body image distress), which can make it hard to eat well and stay active.
Our study looked at what helps or gets in the way of healthy behaviour for people who have finished treatment for bowel cancer. We found:
Personal factors matter
How much time people have, their motivation, what they believe about healthy habits, what they know, and the skills they have can all influence whether they eat well and stay active.
Support helps
Encouragement and support from family and friends, or feeling like healthy habits are normal in their social circle, can make a big difference.
Environment plays a role
Access to gyms, parks, or even just good weather can affect how easy it is to be active.
Cancer symptoms can get in the way
Ongoing physical issues after cancer treatment, like fatigue or bowel problems, often make it harder for people to stick to healthy habits. But if someone is feeling physically well, they’re more likely to eat better and stay active.
Mental health may be important
Depression or being unhappy with one’s body seem to be linked with less healthy behaviour.
In short, to help people with bowel cancer lead healthier lives after treatment, we need to focus on motivation, knowledge, support, and overcoming the challenges they face physically and emotionally.
Towards a more complete picture
Your team conducted a “systematic review”. What is that and why is it important?
We wanted to find out what other scientists had studied, so we could build our study on the latest evidence. Moreover, we wanted to provide an overview of the topic. We looked at 21 papers, but we started with around 800 publications, and had to sift through them to identify the relevant ones.
You divided the studies into quantitative or qualitative. Why did you choose to look at both?
Quantitative studies collected a lot of numbers and measurements. The studies used standardised questionnaires to collect data on dietary intake and other aspects of lifestyle. Those studies answer questions like “how many” or “how much”.
Qualitative studies focus more on experiences. Such studies are mostly interviews to better understand why people do what they do, or how people behave.
Together, they provide a richer, more complete picture of the challenges and motivations colorectal cancer survivors face.
Were you surprised that people find it hard to change their behaviour?
Not really. Most people will recognise how challenging it can be to always make healthy choices. After cancer, when you’re rebuilding your life, that can be even harder.
How important is mental health for people living with and beyond bowel cancer?
Mental health is a very broad topic. People who have had bowel cancer may have a stoma, or be suffering from fatigue, or from bowel functioning problems. These can have a real impact on your life, and it’s important to address them. Some care teams really have an eye on this, but it’s not always the case. One patient told me that she did not dare to discuss her feelings of severe fatigue with her oncologist, as the oncologist told her that “fatigue was not a thing” for people with bowel cancer. We need more awareness and integrated care that addresses both mental and physical health to truly support survivors’ wellbeing.
You’ve also looked at whether following our Cancer Prevention Recommendations can reduce fatigue for people with bowel cancer.
We set up a study to assess whether following the Recommendations would help people to feel less fatigue. Cancer-related fatigue is a symptom that many bowel cancer patients experience during treatment and after completion. What is disturbing is that this type of persistent, overwhelming sense of physical, emotional or mental fatigue is not proportional to activity nor relieved by resting or sleeping.
We recruited participants for the trial who were experiencing cancer-related fatigue. In a randomised study, half of the group received lifestyle coaching to improve their adherence to the Recommendations, while the control group did not.
The coaching really helped the participants to adopt a healthier lifestyle: over time, this group reported eating more fruit and vegetables, and less processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages. Also, physical activity levels went up more in the group that received coaching than in the control group.
Nevertheless, those changes didn’t result in less fatigue. This suggests that while these changes have many benefits, managing fatigue may require additional, targeted interventions.
This grant was funded by Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds based in the Netherlands, as part of the World Cancer Research Fund International network.
Key takeaways:
- The CO21 CHALLENGE Trial found that a structured exercise programme after chemotherapy led to a 28% lower risk of cancer recurrence in colon cancer survivors compared with usual care.
- This is the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) to show that exercise directly improves survival in colon cancer patients. It confirms what observational studies have long suggested.
- The results were presented at a recent conference and made headline news. Experts say the CHALLENGE Trial marks a shift from viewing exercise as a “nice to have” to a “need to have” in cancer care.
Colon (part of the large bowel) cancer survivors who took part in a 3-year structured exercise programme had a 28% lower risk of cancer recurrence or a 2nd cancer. They also had a 37% lower risk of death compared with usual care.
These findings were shared at the 2025 Association of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. They were also published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The ASCO Annual Meeting is the world’s largest oncology conference. It attracts more than 40,000 attendees from around the world. Every year, ASCO highlights the latest advancement in treatments. It also shares the directions that have the greatest potential for progress and patient impact.
Spotlight on exercise
The CO21 CHALLENGE Trial pulled back the curtain on a weapon that has been hiding in plain sight: physical activity. The results of the trial showed improvement in disease-free survival and overall survival in colon cancer survivors in the aerobic exercise intervention group. This trial is the first gold standard RCT to show what has long been indicated from observational studies. This is a big deal!
The impact of exercise on cancer outcomes has been a topic of great debate. Observational research has shown improvements in survival and quality of life linked to higher levels of physical activity. However, observational study designs are limited. They do not show cause and effect.
Plus, they are hard to implement in clinical settings due to concerns that the reported effects may not truly reflect the impact of exercise (and may be due to something else).
Our research
Over the past few years, World Cancer Research Fund International has done extensive reviews through its flagship Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global).
CUP Global includes partnerships with American Institute for Cancer Research, World Cancer Research Fund in the UK and Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds in the Netherlands.
Our CUP Global reviews look at the extent to which diet, nutrition and physical activity impact people after a diagnosis of breast and colorectal cancers with regard to:
- cancer-specific mortality
- all-cause mortality
- risk of cancer recurrence
- health-related quality of life
An expert panel judged the strength of this CUP Global evidence. There were some limitations. Still, detailed recommendations were made to strengthen future research. One of the key recommendations was for well-conducted trials to look at the impact of nutrition or physical activity. The CHALLENGE trial is therefore very timely.
The CUP Global analysis was published in the International Journal of Cancer. It was cited several times in the CHALLENGE trial manuscript.
The CUP Global analysis compared highest with lowest levels of activity. We found that all-cause mortality was reduced by 23–40% depending on physical activity exposure.
Prof Anne May, University Medical Centre, Utrecht
During our review of the literature concerning the impact of post-diagnosis physical activity on colorectal cancer prognosis for the Global Cancer Update Programme (CUP Global), we were unable to draw strong conclusions due to lacking evidence from randomized controlled trials. The Challenge trial provides exactly the evidence we were waiting for.
The summary estimate for studies that assessed activity dose was measured in MET hours per week.
- A 10 MET hour per week increase in activity was linked to a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality.
- A change of 10 MET hours per week was also the intervention goal in the CHALLENGE trial.
The effect sizes in this first, gold-standard RCT are remarkably well-aligned with the CUP Global analyses of observational studies.
During the presentation of the trial results at ASCO, the authors shared this chart. It includes the treatment benefits from approved therapies for colon, lung and breast cancer.
With 7–8% gains, you can see that exercise compares very favourably with other approved therapies in terms of absolute overall survival gain.
Collecting clinical trial evidence
The CHALLENGE trial confirms the clinical benefits that had been reported from observational studies. However, previous RCTs have also hinted at the accuracy of the results from observational studies. For example:
- The LEANer trial was published in 2023. It showed that triple negative breast cancer patients randomised to a diet and physical activity intervention before chemotherapy had a 53% higher rate of treatment success (eliminated cancer cells).
- A trial published in June 2025 showed that an exercise programme during and after chemotherapy increased the immune system responses in oesophageal cancer patients.
World Cancer Research Fund will fund the Optimus trial in the UK. Dr David Bartlett and Prof Adam Frampton at the University of Surrey will lead this study. It was proposed due to these findings.
Next steps
Dr Kerry Courneya co-led the CHALLENGE trial. At ASCO, he said these results could change practice for high-risk stage 2 and stage 3 colon cancer.
He expressed reservation that these results could be generalised to other sites and cancer stages. But he was optimistic that similar trials could be done more quickly than the CHALLENGE trial by taking advantage of newer methods. This could include using remote exercise assessments or activity trackers.
Dr Courneya noted that “support from funding agencies like WCRF/AICR is critical to moving this field forward because of limited access to funding for lifestyle research”.
AICR recently funded a project linked to the CHALLENGE Trial. It is led by Dr Kristin Campbell at the University of British Columbia in Canada. It will look at how muscle and fat tissue respond to exercise and how that may contribute to the observed survival benefits.
The response to the CHALLENGE Trial has made media headlines. Cancer researchers, doctors and patients are also excited by the news. This suggests that adding exercise as an additional part of treatment will gain further momentum.
While more trial data will be needed to support broader implementation, we are likely leaving the “nice to have” approach to exercise oncology and entering the “need to have” phase!
Research grants on physical activity
A selection of some of the grants we have funded that focus on the impact of physical activity on people living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis.