Check with your health professional what is right for you.
Our Cancer Prevention Recommendation for after a cancer diagnosis is to follow our Recommendations, if you can. Check with your health professional what is right for you.
Cancer survivors are people who have been diagnosed with cancer, including those who have recovered from the disease.
Research on the effects of diet, nutrition and physical activity on health outcomes (including the risk of a future cancer and recurrence) in cancer survivors is growing.
However, to date the Expert Panel has reviewed the evidence for the effects of these lifestyle factors only in survivors of breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
There is a lack of evidence from randomised controlled trials. In addition, the quality of most published observational studies has been limited because studies have not adequately accounted for factors such as cancer subtypes, type and intensity of treatment, and other illnesses.
The latest evidence suggested that following our existing Recommendations for cancer prevention – including a physical active lifestyle, a diet rich in plant-based foods, wholegrain foods, and coffee, but avoiding sugary drinks – potentially improve outcomes and overall survival for those who have had a colorectal diagnosis.
The evidence is persuasive that nutritional factors (in particular body fatness) and physical activity reliably predict important outcomes following a diagnosis of breast cancer. However, the evidence that changing these factors would alter the clinical course of breast cancer is limited, particularly by the quality of published studies.
Our Expert Panel agrees that the conclusions underpinning the Cancer Prevention Recommendations are also likely to be relevant to cancer survivors and recommend that, as far as possible, cancer survivors aim to follow these Recommendations once treatment has finished.
There may be specific situations where this advice may not apply and guidance from health professionals may be needed.
One important study that we have been supporting for cancer survivors is in Australia, looking at whether activity monitors can increase physical activity and decrease sitting times in breast cancer survivors. It’s vital to understand better the role of physical activity in relation to cancer.
– Dr Panagiota Mitrou, World Cancer Research Fund International’s Director of Research Funding and Science External Relations
More people are surviving cancer than ever before, at least in part because of earlier detection and the increasing success of treatment for many cancers. As a result, cancer survivors are living long enough to develop new primary cancers or other NCDs. Following the Cancer Prevention Recommendations may improve survival and reduce the risks of cancer and of other NCDs, and so can be recommended on that basis.
A comprehensive whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach is necessary to create environments for cancer survivors that are conducive to following the Cancer Prevention Recommendations, and future, more specific evidence-based recommendations for cancer survivors.
> Find out more on policy action for cancer prevention.
Our Recommendations work together as an overall way of living healthily to prevent cancer.
> Download a PDF that details all the information about our Recommendations
