Cancer survivors who practice healthy habits have higher quality of life

A new study from the American Cancer Society finds cancer survivors who follow health behavior recommendations – avoiding tobacco, eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting adequate exercise—have higher health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores than those who do not follow such recommendations. The study, which appears in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, also finds cancer survivors have low rates of smoking, but few are meeting physical activity recommendations or meeting the “5-A-Day” fruit and vegetable consumption recommendation, suggesting a cancer diagnosis may change smoking behavior but have little impact on exercise and healthy eating.