Nutrition Should Play Part in Cancer Survivorship Care, Say Researchers

24 Oct 2016 --- Survivors of childhood cancer have poor adherence to federal dietary guidelines in adulthood, according to a new study. Researchers say that by eating diets lacking essential nutrients, the chronic disease burden group may exacerbate an already elevated risk for developing new conditions.

Published in the Journal of Nutrition, and carried out by Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, the study looked at a cohort of 2,570 adult survivors of childhood cancer.

The team of researchers found particularly low intakes of whole grains but excessive intakes of sodium and empty calories, i.e. calories from solid fats and added sugars.

The mean intake of whole grains was less than half of the recommended intake (3 servings/day), whereas the sodium intake was substantially higher than the upper intake level (<2,300 mg/day).

Among childhood cancer survivors, calories from added sugars and solid fats each contributed to 14 percent and 20 percent of the total calories, respectively, whereas the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend the percent of calories from both added sugars and solid fats be less than 20.

“When compared to existing dietary recommendations, we found that childhood cancer survivors consumed below the recommended intake for fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, calcium and vitamin E, and excessive levels of sodium and saturated fat, both of which are risk factors for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity,” said lead and corresponding author Fang Fang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston.

“Healthy eating can improve the physical and mental functioning of childhood cancer survivors. Our findings support the need to incorporate nutrition into cancer care.”

The researchers also reported that cancer survivors who were diagnosed before age five had a lower diet quality compared to those who were diagnosed at age five or older, and survivors who had received high radiation doses to the abdomen had a lower quality diet than those who received low doses.

“Survivors of childhood cancer have a high prevalence of chronic health problems that may be exacerbated by poor nutrition,” said Melissa Hudson, M.D., director of the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Division of Cancer Survivorship.

“The findings of this study emphasize the importance of integrating nutritional services and interventions to promote healthy dietary habits in childhood cancer patients during treatment and throughout survivorship care.”