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| The report suggests that a diagnosis of cancer is a 'teachable moment' to encourage better health habits CREDIT: PA |
Experts said that those about to embark on treatment should be given personalised recommendations about their lifestyles, in order to “maximise” their resilience to treatment.
The report by Macmillan Cancer Support, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the National Institute for Health Research Cancer and Nutrition Collaboration called for the introduction of “prehabilitation" as soon as possible after a diagnosis.
Their experts said that a diagnosis could provide a “teachable moment” for patients to quit unhealthy habits, such as smoking or excess drinking.
And they said that all patients could improve their long-term chances of recovery and survival, by getting in optimum shape before treatment began.
The recommendations follow a series of studies which have shown exercise can cut the chance of an early death. US research from Yale University found daily brisk walk of just 25 minutes was found to almost halve mortality among breast cancer sufferers.
The new report suggests those diagnosed with cancer should be encouraged to eat healthily, with lots of fruit and vegetables, limiting alcohol to 14 units a week or less, keeping to a healthy weight, stopping smoking and taking regular exercise of 150 minutes a week if possible.
It says: "People are less vulnerable to the side effects of cancer treatment if they are as healthy as possible, physically and psychologically.”
In some cases, improvements in fitness and nutrition could mean patients became strong enough to access treatments which might not have otherwise been tolerated, it said.
The report said healthy eating was particularly important because the disease and treatment for it increase the risk of malnutrition.
The organisations said that giving those diagnosed with cancer help to improve their fitness and nutrition could also help patients to “reclaim a sense of control”.
June Davis, from Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "We want to see prehabilitation implemented soon after diagnosis so that people living with cancer feel empowered to improve their health and get the personalised care they need.”
Dr Giota Mitrou, director of research at World Cancer Research Fund, said: "We are very excited about this new report and fully support the idea that people living with cancer should receive evidence-based diet and exercise advice.”
We know that diet, weight and physical activity have an impact on your risk of developing cancer, and now evidence suggests that having a healthy diet and exercising may improve a person’s response to cancer treatment, giving them a better quality of life.”
