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Living a healthy life is associated with an improved likelihood of survival following a bowel cancer diagnosis. Researchers from Imperial College London analysed data from 520,000 participants from 10 countries in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study, published in BMC Medicine. During the study period of an average of 6.4 years, 3,292 participants were diagnosed with bowel cancer.

A point score was constructed based on guidelines for body weight, physical activity, diet that promotes weight gain, plant foods, meat-based foods and alcohol, as well as whether women breastfed. Men with a lifestyle score of three or more and women scoring four or more were more likely to survive bowel cancer.

A healthy weight and high plant food consumption had the strongest association with survival. An association was also identified among women who breastfed, which had only previously been seen for breast cancer.