Discoveries
High-fat Western diet may increase risk of relapse in patients treated for advanced colon cancer
Fruits and vegetables may help advanced colon cancer survivors reduce their chance of relapse.
Colon cancer patients who eat a diet high in red meat, fatty products, refined grains, and desserts – a so-called "Western diet" – may be increasing their chance of disease relapse and early death, Dana-Farber researchers have found.
The investigators tracked the diets of more than 1,000 patients with stage III colon cancer who had had their tumors surgically removed and received follow-up chemotherapy. Eating habits within the group included two major trends: a "prudent" pattern featuring high intakes of fruits and vegetables, poultry, and fish, and a "Western" pattern with high amounts of red and processed meats, sweets, French fries, and refined grains. Those who most closely followed a Western diet were three-and-a-half times more likely to have a colon cancer recurrence than those whose diets were least Western-like.
"We know from previous research that diet and lifestyle influence people's risk of developing colon cancer," says Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, who led the study with DFCI colleague Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH. "Our findings suggest that people treated for advanced colon cancer can actively improve their odds of survival through their dietary choices."
