New guidelines from the American Cancer Society say for many
cancers, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate physical
activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the chance of
recurrence and increase the likelihood of disease-free survival
after a diagnosis. The recommendations are included in newly
released Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer
Survivors, published early online in CA: A Cancer Journal for
Clinicians. Increasing evidence shows that for many cancers,
excess weight, lack of exercise, and poor nutrition increase the
risk of cancer recurrence and reduce the likelihood of disease-
free and overall survival for cancer patients. “The data
suggests that cancer survivors, just like everyone else, benefit
from these important steps,” said Colleen Doyle MS RD, American
Cancer Society director of nutrition and physical activity and
co-author of the guidelines. “While we’ve published previous
reports outlining the evidence on the impact of nutrition and
physical activity on cance