Many Cancer Survivors Eat Poorly
Many Cancer Survivors Eat Poorly
Doctors often overlook dietary advice, experts say
The surveys didn't examine when the participants were diagnosed with cancer, so it's not known how the timing of their illness might have affected their eating habits, the study authors pointed out.
"One possibility is that their diets were poor before, and they're still poor now," Demark-Wahnefried said. "After you've been diagnosed with cancer, sometimes you might say, 'What the heck, what's a brownie?' That could be a factor. We really don't know what drives these decisions."
When the study zeroed in on the four major cancers -- breast, prostate, lung and colon -- lung cancer survivors had the worst diets, said study lead author Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, assistant professor with Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.
Breast cancer survivors had the healthiest diets, she said.
"The differences may be due to differences in cancer symptoms and treatment-associated side effects that can impact diet," Zhang said, "or psychosocial factors, such as anxiety and depression associated with different cancer diagnoses."
Still, there were only modest dietary differences between cancer survivors and other people, said Dr. Stephen Freedland, director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute in Los Angeles.
"It's not like one group has horrible diets and the other has amazing diets," he said. "They're different but only slightly different."
There's little research telling cancer survivors what they should eat, said Freedland. "We have some guidelines, but the quality of the data is not great. I can't tell a patient if you eat X, your risk of cancer coming back will be lower," he said.
Freedland said some of his patients embrace better diets. "But the vast majority are 'no': Their cancer is cured, they've put it behind them, and dropped off to their pre-cancer diet patterns."
The study authors urge cancer doctors to do more to educate survivors about their diet choices. "A lot of providers do not discuss this with patients unless they ask," Freedland said. "When you bring it up with a patient, they tend to be receptive."
Many Cancer Survivors Eat Poorly
Doctors often overlook dietary advice, experts say
The surveys didn't examine when the participants were diagnosed with cancer, so it's not known how the timing of their illness might have affected their eating habits, the study authors pointed out.
"One possibility is that their diets were poor before, and they're still poor now," Demark-Wahnefried said. "After you've been diagnosed with cancer, sometimes you might say, 'What the heck, what's a brownie?' That could be a factor. We really don't know what drives these decisions."
When the study zeroed in on the four major cancers -- breast, prostate, lung and colon -- lung cancer survivors had the worst diets, said study lead author Dr. Fang Fang Zhang, assistant professor with Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.
Breast cancer survivors had the healthiest diets, she said.
"The differences may be due to differences in cancer symptoms and treatment-associated side effects that can impact diet," Zhang said, "or psychosocial factors, such as anxiety and depression associated with different cancer diagnoses."
Still, there were only modest dietary differences between cancer survivors and other people, said Dr. Stephen Freedland, director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute in Los Angeles.
"It's not like one group has horrible diets and the other has amazing diets," he said. "They're different but only slightly different."
There's little research telling cancer survivors what they should eat, said Freedland. "We have some guidelines, but the quality of the data is not great. I can't tell a patient if you eat X, your risk of cancer coming back will be lower," he said.
Freedland said some of his patients embrace better diets. "But the vast majority are 'no': Their cancer is cured, they've put it behind them, and dropped off to their pre-cancer diet patterns."
The study authors urge cancer doctors to do more to educate survivors about their diet choices. "A lot of providers do not discuss this with patients unless they ask," Freedland said. "When you bring it up with a patient, they tend to be receptive."
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