Everyday foods may be slashing survival rates of deadly bowel cancer

COMMON FOODS IN THE MODERN DIET MAY BE SLASHING SURVIVAL RATES IN PATIENTS WITH BOWEL CANCER 19:51, 02 Jun 2025 Obesity rates, the modern diet, and rising cases of bowel cancer have long

been linked, but experts have now identified key foods that could be to blame. A new study has found that eating an 'inflammatory diet' packed with fast food, red meat, and sugary

snacks could raise the risk of dying from colon cancer by more than a third. Colon cancer or bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with

almost 44,000 new diagnoses every year. More than 2,600 younger people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK each year, according to the charity Bowel Cancer UK. Scientists have branded

this rise a "global phenomenon", with studies showing some of the steepest increases are happening in England. Research points to poor diet, alcohol, and smoking as potentially

culprits for this rise – and inflammation could be the link. Article continues below Presenting the findings of the latest study, Sara K. Char of Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston,

said: "Our study showed that greater intake of a pro-inflammatory diet pattern is associated with worse overall survival in patients with stage III colon cancer." Researchers

looked at the impact of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory diets on outcomes after bowel cancer treatment. "We wanted to examine the joint effect of physical activity and diet on

overall survival, as we know that both can impact systemic inflammation," Char explained. The study, which looked at data from 1,625 patients in a clinical trial, found that people with

less inflammatory diets were more likely to live longer. Those with the most inflammatory diets had an 87 per cent higher risk of dying than people with the least inflammatory diets.

Examples of pro-inflammatory foods include red meat, processed meats, refined grains and sugary drinks, whereas anti-inflammatory foods include coffee, tea, dark yellow vegetables like sweet

potatoes and carrots, and leafy green vegetables., according to Cancer Research UK. The research also looked at the role of physical activity in cancer survival and found that patients who

were more physically active – engaging in the equivalent of brisk walking for 30 minutes five days a week – saw significantly better outcomes. Those who combined healthy diets with regular

exercise had a 63 per cent lower risk of death compared to those with inflammatory diets and minimal activity. Overall, the research found that people who kept to less inflammatory diets and

exercised regularly were the most likely to survive. The study was presented at the 2025 American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting. Responding to the study, Dr Catherine

Elliott, director of research at Cancer Research UK said: "This study adds to interesting emerging evidence about the role of inflammation in the progression of colon cancer. We need

more high-quality research like this to help us uncover more about how our diet influences cancer outcomes. "When it comes to food and cancer risk, our overall diet is far more

important than any single food or ingredient. A healthy, balanced diet includes eating lots of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, and healthy sources of protein like beans and chicken. Cutting

down on processed and red meats, and foods high in fat, sugar and salt also helps." Article continues below It comes as a major study found that an exercise programme for colon cancer

patients can cut the risk of dying by a third. Also presented at ASCO, the study also found that exercise can stop tumours coming back or a new cancer developing – and is even more effective

than drugs.