American Cancer Society Guideline Offers Clear Steps for Cancer Survivors to Boost Long-Term Health

What’s new and why it mattersThe document outlines evidence-based guidance on diet, physical activity, body composition and alcohol use for cancer survivors, drawing on laboratory work, cohort studies, meta-analyses and randomized trials published since 2012. At a time when the 5-year relative survival rate for all cancers combined in the United States stands at about 68% and there are roughly 16.9 million survivors, this guidance aims to equip both patients and health-care providers.

‍Key recommendations in plain language

• Maintain a healthy body weight: The guidelines emphasise avoiding excess body fat and, when possible, preserving or increasing muscle mass, as obesity and low muscle mass have been linked to poorer outcomes in several cancer types.
• Engage in regular physical activity: Survivors are encouraged to work with providers to develop a physical-activity plan consistent with their health status, treatment history and side-effects. Multiple studies show physical activity is associated with improved overall survival among survivors of cancers such as breast, colorectal and prostate.
• Adopt a healthy dietary pattern: A diet rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains and limited in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and refined grains is recommended. The “Western-style” diet (high in processed meats, desserts, refined grains) is associated with worse outcomes in some survivor groups.
• Alcohol use: The evidence is less definitive for many cancers, but higher alcohol consumption after diagnoses of certain cancers (for example, head & neck, liver) is associated with greater risk of death. Consequently, limiting or avoiding alcohol is advised in those contexts.
• Early integration and coordination: Nutrition and physical-activity assessment and counselling should ideally begin soon after cancer diagnosis and continue through treatment and survivorship. The guideline also addresses the need for care coordination and support services to enable adherence.

What this means for survivors and care providers
These recommendations move beyond general wellness advice to target the specific survivorship context—recognizing that survivors often face comorbidities, treatment-related side-effects and disparate access to resources. The guideline acknowledges gaps in evidence, particularly for less common cancers, and underscores the importance of tailored programmes.

Practical considerations
While the guideline is intended for both clinicians and survivors, its translation into routine practice will require systems that integrate diet and exercise counselling into oncology care. The authors note that despite strong evidence linking healthy behaviours to improved outcomes, real-world adherence remains low (for example, only ~12% of survivors meet fruit/vegetable intake benchmarks in one survey).

‍Caveats and future directions
The authors emphasise that evidence remains incomplete for many cancer types, and many recommendations are drawn from observational data rather than large randomized trials. They call for more research into how best to implement these lifestyle interventions and how they might interact with new therapies.

In sum, this updated guideline from the ACS offers a thoughtful, evidence-grounded roadmap for survivors seeking to optimise their health beyond treatment. While not prescribing a “one-size-fits-all” regimen, it provides actionable targets anchored in robust data for weight management, activity, diet and alcohol use. As survivorship becomes an increasingly central frontier in oncology, these recommendations highlight that lifestyle is not merely ancillary, but integral, to long-term outcomes.

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Source: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.21719

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

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