Diet Appears to Influence Colon Cancer Outcomes

A provocative study suggests what many have suspected — an unhealthy diet affects colon cancer outcomes. Reporting in the August 15, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers show that patients with the highest intake of a Western-pattern diet, characterized by high intakes of red meat, sugar desserts, high fat, and refined grains, have a 3-fold increase in cancer recurrences and mortality.
"Colon cancer patients often ask their oncologists, 'What should I be eating?' And this is the first study to begin to answer that question," lead author Jeffrey A. Meyerhardt, MD, MPH, from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, told Medscape. "The challenge will be what best to advise patients," he noted.
In contrast to the link between an unhealthy diet and colon cancer outcomes, the researchers did not observe an association between prudent eating and survival outcomes after curative resection of stage III colon cancer.
"What we found was an avoidance of a certain dietary pattern, rather than a recommendation to increase certain foods," Dr. Meyerhardt said. "However, this is still important to be able to advise avoiding certain foods that may worsen outcome. I think clinicians will likely need to work with their nutritionists to help patients."

Previous research has suggested that diet can have a significant impact on the risk for colon cancer. In a study of 76,402 women by Fung and colleagues, which was published in the February 10, 2003, issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, women in the highest quintile of consumption of a high-fat, low-fiber diet had an increase in the relative risk of developing colon cancer of 1.46 compared with those in the lowest quintile. However, consumption of a high-fiber and healthy protein diet was associated with a trend toward reduced rates of colon cancer. Diet did not significantly affect the risk for rectal cancer.
There has been less research into the impact of diet on outcomes among patients with known colon cancer. The current study addresses this issue.

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Compiled by –Santosh  Ghodinde ,Community Pharmacist, Dhanwantari Medical, Panvel.