Improving Cancer Outcomes Through Better Nutrition

Nutrition plays a critical role in overall health, and growing research shows it can also influence cancer outcomes. Study after study confirms that healthy dietary patterns are associated with improved survival rates and better quality of life for some cancer patients. National Nutrition Month — the 2026 theme of which is Discover the Power of Nutrition — is an opportunity to highlight how the food and beverage choices people make can support health during and after cancer treatment.

In the midst of cancer treatment, chemotherapy or radiation appointments, imaging, oncology visits and more, proper nutrition can become an afterthought, especially for patients experiencing nausea or other treatment side effects.

How Diet Can Influence Cancer Outcomes

An analysis of nearly 50 research studies published between 2011-2021 found:

• A better diet is associated with improved survival rates for those with breast and colorectal cancers.
• Those with colorectal and prostate cancers had a lower mortality risk when following a Mediterranean diet.
• A higher-quality diet was associated with a 23% reduction in mortality for those with breast cancer.
• Healthy dietary choices—especially when combined with physical activity—improved quality-of-life measures.

Socioeconomic Factors Also Matter

Diet is one of many non-treatment factors that can influence cancer outcomes. A multitude of variables—including where someone lives, stable housing, and access to reliable and affordable transportation—coupled with nutrition and other socioeconomic factors, can also affect overall health and treatment success.

The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is a nationally recognized measure of socioeconomic disadvantage at the neighborhood level. It assigns scores from 1 (least disadvantaged) to 100 (most disadvantaged) using 17 variables from the U.S. Census, including income level, education, employment status and housing quality. Studies show ADI can help predict treatment adherence, survival and delays in care across multiple cancer types.

For example, women living in the most socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods had a 47% higher mortality rate from breast cancer than those in the least deprived areas. A high ADI has also been linked to worse outcomes in head and neck cancers, gastrointestinal malignancies and other cancers commonly treated in community settings.

Nutrition and Other Resources to Support Patients

Regardless of where patients live, there are many nutrition and other resources available both locally and nationally. Patients can find helpful information on locating support services in the AON Patient Resources section of the website.

Services such as 211 connect people to assistance for food, housing, transportation, utility support and health services. Platforms such as FindHelp allow users to search by ZIP code for free or low-cost resources tailored to their needs.

Oncology social workers are skilled at navigating the unique needs of individual patients and helping them access nutrition support and other services that support health and wellbeing.

Healthier Eating Happens One Day at a Time

Improving nutrition is a journey, not a destination. Healthy habits take time to develop, and progress often happens gradually. Research suggests the median time needed to establish healthy habits – such as eating well, staying hydrated or maintaining consistent physical activity – is about two months.

Small, consistent steps can make a meaningful difference over time.

Patients and caregivers can also explore more than four dozen recipes and nutrition tips on the AON website, along with YouTube videos that cover nutrition, strategies for managing treatment side effects and information about emerging cancer treatments.