Survival impact of adherence to lifestyle accomodations after cancer diagnosis: UK Biobank analysis

Research supporting the current recommendations to adhere to a healthy lifestyle following cancer diagnosis is limited. Analysis of the UK Biobank cohort investigated whether a healthy lifestyle after diagnosis is associated with a lower risk of mortality. Adherence was assessed using a lifestyle index based on lifestyle recommendations for cancer prevention. In the UK Biobank. 20.805 participants had a malignant cancer diagnosis prior to baseline. During follow-up to November 2022 (258.985 person-years), 4,328 deaths and 3,354 cancer-specific deaths were recorded. A higher lifestyle index, representing greater adherence to recommendations was associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and cancer-specific mortality, for any cancer and for breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. The authors conclude that these findings provide evidence to support the recommendation to follow a healthy lifestyle after cancer diagnosis to prolong life.