Effect of diet on bladder cancer survivors.

Abstract

437 Background: Diet has been shown to affect cancer recurrence, progression, and overall survival. A reduction in overall mortality is associated with high intake of vegetables and whole grains, but little is known about the role of other macronutrients. Further, the role of macronutrients in bladder cancer survivors as they move beyond the treatment period is unknown. Methods: After IRB approval, an institutional database was used to identify a large cohort of bladder cancer patients. They were mailed a survey that included the Diet History Questionnaire II (DHQ II). This validated instrument is recommended by the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute. It involves 151 questions covering portion size over 134 food items and 8 supplements, and takes a patient roughly an hour to complete. Our cross-sectional survey used the results from the DHQ II to assess compliance with the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Results: Out of 962 subjects, 461 completed the survey (48%). Mean age was 73, 80% were male, and 87% were white. The recommended protein intake was met or exceeded 98% of respondents and 66.8% were able to meet the fruit and vegetable recommendations. Similarly, 62.9% met carbohydrate recommendations. Unfortunately, only 44.5% met fat recommendations, and 0.9% met the whole grain recommendations. Recommended sodium intake was exceeded by 62% of subjects. Conclusions: Bladder cancer survivors exhibit poor adherence to standard dietary recommendations, but they represent a unique metabolic state. It is unknown what constitutes a healthy diet in a bladder cancer survivor, but a healthy diet has potential to be a component of survivorship intervention and not merely sustenance. Cancer survivors are an important target population for health promotion efforts and we plan further investigation of diet and its impact on quality of life amongst other lifestyle factors.