If you have been diagnosed with polyps -- cancerous or benign -- you now have an incentive to make some different lifestyle choices.
- Stop smoking and limit your use of alcohol. Exposing yourself to these known toxins can cause cell damage that promotes cancer. A recent study shows that alcohol and tobacco users developed colorectal cancer an average of 7.8 years earlier (age 63.2 years in women and 62.1 years in men) than those who never drank alcohol or smoked.
- Eat a balanced, low-fat diet with fruits and vegetables. Studies show that a Mediterranean diet low in red meat and saturated fat and high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables is associated with overall health, including colon health. This also reduces inflammation, which is now associated with many diseases including cancer.
- Keep an appropriate weight for your age and body type. Studies show that those who are overweight are at higher risk for colorectal cancer, and being very obese increases that risk by 50% for men and by 80% for women.
- Make daily exercise a habit. People who exercise are at lower risk for colorectal cancer and appear to have a reduced risk of polyps.
Speaking of exercise: Data from two recent studies show that after cancer diagnosis, vigorous exercise significantly increases disease-free survival and lowers recurrence risks.
In the first study, 832 patients with advanced (stage III) colon cancer who underwent surgery and chemotherapy were asked to report on their recreational physical activities six months after completing treatment. Researchers found those who reported the most activity had twice the disease- free survival rate and half the recurrence rate of the least active patients. The benefit applied regardless of gender, age, weight, number of involved lymph nodes, and chemotherapy received.
The second study reviewed the physical activity of 573 women with stage I–III nonmetastatic colon cancer, before and after diagnosis, and their change in activity after diagnosis. They found that those who increased their exercise levels or began exercising after their diagnosis had a significantly lower death rate from cancer or other causes than those who exercised less. They also found that the level of activity before diagnosis wasn’t relevant. The two separate studies from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute – and reported in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (Volume 24, pages 3527 and 3535) -- were based on observation and not on controlled clinical trials. However, they concur with studies that associate exercise with lower risks of developing colon cancer.
