After a cancer diagnosis: follow our Recommendations, if you can

Cancer survivors graphicCheck with your health professional what is right for you.

The progress in early detection and treatment of cancer has led to a dramatic increase in the number of cancer survivors.

In the UK, 89% of men are still alive 5 years after a prostate cancer diagnosis. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK.

Around 86% of women in the UK are still alive 5 years after a breast cancer diagnosis. Breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in the UK.

> You can find out more about why cancers have different survival rates here

It’s unlikely that following the Cancer Prevention Recommendations would be harmful to those who have completed their cancer treatment. Therefore, after treatment, people are encouraged, if appropriate and not otherwise advised by a health professional, to follow the general advice for cancer prevention.

Following the Recommendations is also likely to reduce the risks of other diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, which are important causes of ill health in people living beyond cancer.

Still receiving treatment?

If you are currently receiving treatment for cancer, you are likely to have special nutritional requirements. Download our Eat Well During Cancer (pdf) booklet for tips and advice to help you cope with common side-effects while also eating as healthily as possible.

You may also have special nutritional requirements if your cancer treatment has affected your ability to eat or digest some foods – for example, if you have undergone a gastrectomy or a colostomy.

In these cases, it’s best to ask a doctor, dietitian or specialist nurse for advice.

Our research on cancer survivors

Preventing a recurrence of cancer and improving general health in people living with and beyond cancer is a new focus of research and is a priority for the scientific work we fund.

We also try to encourage other organisations that support cancer research to fund studies that can help us to give better advice to people with a diagnosis than is currently available.