Lifestyle and dietary factors in bowel (colorectal) cancer survival

What is it about?

It is not clear which pre-diagnostic lifestyle and dietary factors influence bowel (colorectal) cancer survival. This study investigates the association between these factors and bowel cancer survival. Out of 96 889 cancer-free participants of the Norwegian Women and Cancer (NOWAC) Study who completed self-reported questionnaire on lifestyle and dietary factors at the study’s baseline, 1 861 developed bowel cancer. Among the women who developed bowel cancer, 550 died of the cancer, and 110 died of other causes, while 1 201 were alive at the end of the study. Following adjustment, a pre-diagnostic vitamin D intake of more than 10μg per day (compared with less than 10μg per day) was associated with better bowel cancer survival. Other pre-diagnostic lifestyle and dietary factors showed no association with bowel cancer survival. In conclusion, our study shows that pre-diagnostic vitamin D intake could improve bowel cancer survival.

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Photo by Online Marketing on Unsplash

Photo by Online Marketing on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This study evaluates several lifestyle and dietary factors in the presence of competing mortality risks. Pre-diagnostic vitamin D intake could improve colorectal cancer survival.