After a cancer diagnosis, follow our Recommendations, if you can

Overview of evidence

The available evidence on the effect of diet, nutrition, and physical activity on the risk of cancer in cancer survivors is limited. There is a lack of evidence from randomised controlled trials.

In addition, most published observational studies do not adequately account for factors such as cancer subtypes, type and intensity of treatment, or the presence of other illnesses.

Further research is needed to better understand the impact of diet, nutrition, physical activity, and bodyweight upon the health of those living with and beyond a diagnosis of cancer.

The results of this research will then enable WCRF to developmore specific evidence-based recommendations for cancer survivors.

Goal

• All cancer survivors should receive care and guidance from trained professionals about nutrition and physical activity.

Unless otherwise advised, and if you can, all cancer survivors are advised to follow the Cancer Prevention Recommendations as far as possible after the acute stage of treatment.

Cancer survivors are people who are living with and beyond a diagnosis of cancer. This includes those currently living with the disease and  those who have recovered from it.

Additional information

The circumstances of cancer survivors vary greatly. There is increased recognition of the importance of diet, nutrition, physical activity, and body weight in cancer survival. People who have been diagnosed with cancer should be given the opportunity, as soon as possible, to consult an appropriately trained health professional, who can take into account each person’s circumstances.

People who are undergoing treatment for cancer are likely to have special nutritional requirements. This is also true for following treatment, when a person’s ability to consume or metabolise food may have been altered, as well as people in the later stages of cancer whose immediate need is to arrest or slow down weight loss.

These are all clinical situations where the advice of an appropriately trained health professional is essential. Unless specifically advised by an appropriately trained professional, the evidence does not support the use of supplements as a means of improving survival.

There is growing evidence that physical activity and other measures that control weight may help to improve survival and health-related quality of life after a breast cancer diagnosis. Cancer survivors are also likely to gain health benefits related to other conditions, as well as a sense of control, from regular physical activity at levels that they can sustain.

Implications for other diseases

Evidence shows that following a dietary pattern close to our Cancer Prevention Recommendations is likely to help prevent other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, and help management and control of co-existing NCDs, which can complicate cancer treatment and reduce survival.