Five lifestyle habits that transform life after a cancer diagnosis

The experience of receiving a diagnosis with cancer might make one feel completely helpless. Nevertheless, research indicates that the change in behaviour can play an equal role to treatment. With only a few behaviours to adopt and change, one can live much longer and have a high quality of life after the disease.

How taking control of daily habits boosts survival for cancer survivors

Firstly, it is essential to become physically active. Research showed that exercising reduces mortality by 36 percentage for women diagnosed with breast cancer and by 37 percentage for active men with prostate cancer. The recommendation is to do 150 minutes of exercises per week. Furthermore, it is important to eat well and consume more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while also minimising the consumption of red meat. The adherence to the Mediterranean diet makes one less likely to die from colorectal cancer by almost 50 percentage. Finally, keeping one’s weight under control is extremely important, because the excess fat contributes to diseases, such as diabetes.

On the other hand, breaking bad habits can lead to tremendous gains. This includes quitting smoking, which serves as the fourth healthy habit and can boost lung cancer patient survival rates by 30 percentage. Lastly, minimising alcohol consumption forms the fifth habit. Drinking excessively post-diagnosis leads to a heightened chance of being diagnosed with secondary cancer.

According to a UK study involving researchers John Mathers and Dr. Fiona Malcomson from Newcastle University, fulfilling the requirements of the habits decreases the risk of all-cause mortality by 8 percentage per each one of the habits. John mentioned that such changes would completely redefine current guidelines in medicine. Fiona went further, saying that patients have significant influence on improving their own wellbeing. Childhood cancer studies have also shown that patients’ health in the future is much more determined by these five habits than by any past treatment experiences.

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