Living Well After Cancer: How Lifestyle Choices Impact Long-Term Survivors

Cancer survivors who have been cancer-free for five years or more are known as long-term cancer survivors (LTCS). There is still a lot to learn about how lifestyle choices affect their chances of living longer. A recent study looked at the habits of 6,057 people who had survived breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer. The study wanted to see how different lifestyle factors, both individually and combined, affected their risk of dying from any cause.

Study Methodology

The study created a healthy lifestyle score (HLS) based on four factors:

• Alcohol use
• Body mass index (BMI)
• Physical activity
• Smoking

Participants were then divided into three groups based on their scores, with the highest group being the healthiest. Over a follow-up period of up to 12.3 years, 2,015 deaths occurred.

Key Findings

The results showed that those in the middle and highest lifestyle score groups had a 27% and 32% lower risk of dying, respectively, compared to the lowest group. This suggests that a healthier lifestyle is linked to a lower risk of death. The study also found that following all the recommended lifestyle guidelines for smoking, physical activity, and BMI was associated with a lower risk of death.

Consistency Across Demographics

These findings were consistent across different demographic and clinical characteristics, meaning that the benefits of a healthy lifestyle apply to a wide range of people. The study emphasizes the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle for long-term cancer survivors. It's not just about surviving cancer; it's about living well afterward.