Lifestyle issues for colorectal cancer survivors—perceived needs, beliefs and opportunities

As survival rates for patients treated with colorectal cancer (CRC) increase, it is important to consider the short- and long-term self-management needs. The current work aimed to explore perceived patient needs for advice on diet, activity and beliefs about the role of lifestyle for reducing disease recurrence.

Forty colorectal cancer survivors, aged between 27 and 84, participated in six focus groups in community locations in the UK.

The findings suggest that CRC survivors would welcome guidance on diet in the immediate posttreatment period to alleviate symptoms and fears about food choices. Many participants actively sought lifestyle advice but experienced confusion, mixed messages, culturally inappropriate guidance and uncertainty about evidence of benefit. There was scepticism over the role of diet and physical activity as causes of cancer, in part because people believed their lifestyles had been healthy and could not see how reinstating healthy behaviours would reduce future disease risk. The sense of changing lifestyle to ‘stack the odds in their favour’ (against recurrence) appeared a more meaningful concept than prevention per se. Those people who had made or maintained dietary changes highlighted the importance of these to contributing to wellbeing and a sense of control in their life.

A dogmatic approach to lifestyle change may lead to perceptions of victim blaming and stigmatisation. Personalised, evidence informed, guidance on lifestyle choices does appear to be a much needed part of care planning and should be built in to survivorship programmes.