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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- More than half of the estimated 11 million cancer survivors in the United States are aged 65 or older. There are relatively few studies looking at older cancer survivors' health behaviors, but evidence suggests that many older, long-term cancer survivors have poor diet and exercise habits.
Catherine Mosher, Ph.D., of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City and colleagues reviewed data from 753 long-term (five or more years post-diagnosis) breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors aged 65 years or over to estimate the quality of their health habits. Participants were recruited through the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry, the Duke Cancer Registry, and self-referral. The study included telephone interviews to assess exercise, diet, weight, and quality of life, and to determine individuals' eligibility for a diet and exercise intervention trial.
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The researchers found that older cancer survivors, all of whom expressed interest in a diet and exercise intervention study, generally had poor health habits. For example, they reported an average of only 10 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week, falling far short of the national recommendation of more than 150 minutes per week. Only 7 percent met healthful eating recommendations set by national guidelines.
Not surprisingly, the study showed that those survivors who exercised and watched their diet had improved physical health and quality of life, and that individuals who were obese had worse physical quality of life.
Despite their suboptimal health behaviors, cancer survivors reported a level of mental and physical quality of life that actually exceeded levels typically found among older individuals in the general population. This is explained in part by the study's design, which excluded survivors with significant health problems and functional limitations.
"Our findings point to the potential negative impact of obesity and the positive effect of regular exercise and a healthy diet on physical quality of life outcomes among older, long-term cancer survivors," Dr. Mosher was quoted as saying. "Only randomized clinical trials, however, can reveal whether lifestyle modification improves older, long-term cancer survivors' physical outcomes."
SOURCE: Cancer, September 1, 2009
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