Oral Presentation Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2019

Do cancer survivors change their diet after cancer diagnosis? (#106)

Sim Yee (Cindy) Tan 1 2 3 , LaurenJ McGrath 2 , Hoi Y Wong 3 , Jane Turner 1 4 , Kim Kerin-Ayres 1 5 , Haryana Dhillon 4 , Ashanya Malalasekera 1 6 , Janette Vardy 1 4 6
  1. Concord Cancer Centre , Concord Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia
  2. The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
  3. Nutrition and Dietetics Department, Concord Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia
  4. Centre for Medical Psychology and Evidence-based Decision-making, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
  5. Nursing Services, Concord Hospital, Concord, NSW, Australia
  6. Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Concord, NSW, Australia

Lifestyle factors such as healthy diet and regular exercise may reduce risk of cancer and/or cancer recurrence. We aimed to investigate dietary changes made by cancer survivors including vegetable and fruit intake since cancer diagnosis.

Method:

Data were collected prospectively from cancer survivors who had completed potentially curative cancer treatment and attended Sydney Cancer Survivorship Centre (SCSC) clinic between September 2013 and July 2019. Survivors were asked to complete a food questionnaire including questions about dietary changes since diagnosis and a 3-day food dairy. A dietitian assessed patients’ fruit and vegetable intake based on their food dairy.

Results:

A total of 572 survivors consented: 68% were female, mean age 57 (range 18 to 90) years. Main cancer types were breast (41%), colorectal (31%), lymphoma (17%). More than half (n=299/518) reported making dietary changes. Based on 298 descriptions, the most common dietary changes were increased vegetable intake (35%), reduced/avoiding red meat (23%), increased fruit intake (19%), reduced/avoiding sugar or foods high in sugar (18%), reduced alcohol intake (13%), reduced high fat food products (13%). Less than 10% of survivors chose to avoid dairy, reduce/avoid seafood, decrease coffee intake and/or start ‘juicing’. An average of two dietary changes were made, with some making up to 7 dietary changes. Adherence to special diets was reported by 8% of survivors, including intermittent fasting, low carbohydrate diet and vegan. Only a small proportion of survivors, 53/280 (19%) and 110/282 (39%), met the recommended serves for vegetable and fruit intake respectively. Some alcohol intake was reported by 233/487 (48%) survivors.

Conclusion:

The majority of survivors modified their diet after cancer diagnosis; some modifications appear to be beneficial, while others were extreme and not evidence based. Future studies are needed to investigate the best approach to providing dietary information to support survivors to make appropriate dietary changes.

  1. https://www.wcrf.org/dietandcancer