Sustaining a Healthy Lifestyle Can Enhance Colon Cancer Survival Rates
Key Takeaways:
- Healthy lifestyle habits prior to a colon cancer diagnosis have an association with a higher rate of survival, according to recent research.
- Having a healthy weight and consuming a predominantly plant-based diet have shown to possibly boost survival chances in colon cancer patients.
- The study also suggests that women who had breast-fed have higher survival probabilities against colon cancer.
- Maintaining a healthy lifestyle in line with recommended guidelines for diet, physical activity, and weight could not only deter the development of colon cancer but also enhance survival rates among diagnosed patients.
- It remains unclear as to whether adopting healthy lifestyle habits after being diagnosed can improve survival chances, and further research is needed.
In recent research, there has been a clear association between maintaining healthy lifestyle habits prior to a colon cancer diagnosis and a higher rate of survival.
How Do Lifestyle Factors Impact Survival Rates?
Survival rates in colon cancer patients fluctuate widely, even among those with similar types of tumors and identical treatment. Researchers have theorized that lifestyle factors, both before and after the diagnosis of colon cancer, might significantly affect survival rates.
The latest research verifies that the healthier the lifestyle a person adopted before their diagnosis, the better their chances of surviving.
Please note: This study was created to establish an association between healthy lifestyle habits and better survival outcomes and not to prove a direct cause-effect relationship between these entities.
Research Specifics
This investigation comprised data gathered over an average of six years from over 520,000 people across ten European countries. Within the duration of this research, nearly 3,300 patients were diagnosed with colon cancer.
Patients were assessed based on their adherence to healthy lifestyle guidelines in the areas of diet, physical activity, and weight.
The research found an association between maintaining a healthy weight, consuming a predominantly plant-based diet, and better survival chances. The study’s findings were published in the online journal BMC Medicine.
Does Previous Healthy Habits Impact Future Survival Rates?
The research team discovered that women who had breast-fed had better survival probabilities than those who hadn’t. This association, previously observed in breast cancer, is being seen for the first time in colon cancer.
“The outcomes of this research show that maintaining a healthy lifestyle into adulthood, in line with diet, physical activity, and weight recommendations for cancer prevention, not only deters the development of bowel (colon) cancer but also boosts survival in cases of diagnosed patients,” remarked lead author Dora Romaguera, from Imperial College London.
One thing that remains unclear is whether adopting healthy lifestyle habits post-diagnosis can improve patients’ chances of survival. Further studies are required to determine the validity of this speculation, according to the researchers.
Additional Information
For more on colon cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute page.
