Influence of a cancer diagnosis on changes in fruit and vegetable consumption according to cancer site, stage at diagnosis and socioeconomic factors: Results from the large E3N‐EPIC study

Many studies have demonstrated that lifestyle factors, including diet, may influence cancer survival. The number of cancer survivors is increasing worldwide and little is known about long‐term diet changes in people who had cancer. We studied 53,981 women from the prospective E3N‐EPIC cohort study with available dietary data in 1993 and 2005, among whom 4,619 had a cancer diagnosis inbetween (including n = 2,699 breast cancers). We evaluated the potential impact of a cancer diagnosis (comparing women with cancer to women with no cancer) on changes in FV consumption using multivariable linear regression models considering cancer site, stage at diagnosis and socioeconomic factors. Compared to women with no cancer, a statistically significant increase in FV consumption (β=+2.65%, [1.22–4.09]) was observed in women who had cancer, and this association appeared to be driven by breast cancer exclusively. The increase in FV consumption was larger in women who had an advanced stage of breast cancer (stages II–IV) (β=+7.23%, [3.92–10.5]) than in women with stages 0–I (β=+2.03%, [−0.20 to 4.26]). Women with no partner and no children were those having the highest increase in FV consumption (β=+18.71%, [6.51–30.91]). These changes were only observed in specific SE groups. When considering adherence to guidelines, the proportion of women who consumed less than 7.5 portions a day in 1993 and more in 2005 was greater in women with advanced breast cancer. More research is now needed to understand how the inequities we observed impact the long‐term health after cancer. What's new? Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, doctors say, to prevent cancer. But will eating more fruits and vegetables after diagnosis improve the chances of survival? Here, the authors looked at dietary data from women in the EPIC cohort study, over a 12‐year period, to see whether a cancer diagnosis would spur women to change their diet. Women diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, they found, significantly increased their fruit and vegetable consumption, compared with women who were not diagnosed. The improvements in diet, however, were seen only in women in certain socioeconomic groups.