Patients with stage 3 colon cancer who focus on anti-inflammatory foods and increasing physical activity may significantly lower their risk of death, a new study finds.
There is new evidence that diet may play an important role in improving survival outcomes in patients with later-stage colon cancer.
A new study finds following an anti-inflammatory diet prolongs overall survival after traditional treatment.
An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole, unprocessed foods, including a variety of vegetables and fruits, as well as coffee and tea. A pro-inflammatory diet is higher in red meat, processed meats, refined grains and sugar-sweetened beverages.
In a phase 3 clinical trial, researchers followed more than 16-hundred people with stage 3 colon cancer who underwent surgery and chemotherapy
and then completed food frequency and physical activity questionnaires.
The researchers ranked their diets from the most to the least proinflammatory and then monitored overall survival outcomes over many years.
The results showed those who consumed the most proinflammatory diets had an 87% higher risk of death compared to those who consumed the least proinflammatory diets.
Participants who consumed more anti-inflammatory foods and reported higher levels of physical activity had the best overall survival outcomes, with a 63% lower risk of death.
The senior author says, “Further studies are needed to tailor specific dietary recommendations for patients with colon cancer.” And to look more closely at the biological mechanisms driving the relationship between proinflammatory foods and survival.
Source: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting
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