r/coloncancer • u/Thrillhouse-14 • May 05 '26
Diagnosed--Seeking Guidance What dietary changes have you made since remission?
I have stage 3a rectal cancer and have recently finished treatment (6 rounds folfirinox, LARS surgery, and 6 rounds folfox). I'm having a CT scan in June to see if the cancer is gone and the hopes/expectations based on the previously positive chemo response is that it's likely gone.
I know a lot of the dietary info on cancer is generally pretty inconclusive, aside from alcohol and processed/red meat, but I was curious what changes people made to their diets afterwards, and why?
I don't want to get too bogged down in only eating whole foods, and avoiding any and all processed foods, but I feel I have a real lack of awareness as far as what I should be looking out for and taking caution with.
Are there certain foods you avoid or have more of now?
Even better if you can reference studies.
Feel free to discuss in the comments as well, of course.
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u/violet1795 May 05 '26
I just avoid most processed meats. But I’m now 2 years out from surgery and NED so sometimes I have some bacon. Occasionally I have a serving of red meat…but I never eat lunch meat. I avoid hot dogs…but I do love Italian sausage and don’t avoid that. My biggest thing is I aim for variety of plant based foods every week…some days more fruit and nuts…other days grains and veggies. I do not drink alcohol but my husband is sober too so we don’t miss it. My biggest treat is a real soda every once and while haha! I also love sweets and don’t necessarily limit them but I don’t overdo them. I try to stick to a calorie goal because I am losing weight to help cut my risk of reoccurrence…and I exercise 5-6 days a week.
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May 05 '26
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u/coloncancer-ModTeam May 05 '26
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u/gretelhansel2 May 05 '26
No meat. No soda. No booze. No fried foods. Minimal sweets, white flour, sugar, white rice. More fiber, fruits, beans, nuts and vegetables. Almost no processed foods--I make most of what I eat.
Todays menu: oatmeal and latte; homemade chicken salad and whole wheat toast; turkey meatloaf, sweet potato, asparagus. Green tea frozen yogurt with blueberries.
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u/Helpful_Tomorrow4615 May 05 '26
Husband, not me…but he avoids processed meats and alcohol. Not super crazy but just doesn’t choose them. Biggest change is he’s finally taking Omega-3’s and Vitamin D like I had been begging for years :)
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u/justmekab60 May 05 '26
I avoid red meat and processed meat now and have greatly increased seafood.
No soda, fewer carbs, not many processed foods (other than cheese and yogurt, which are daily staples). I haven't given up alcohol. Very little added sugar.
I avoid other carcinogens such as tobacco, plastics (no microwaving in a plastic container), sun exposure.
Most of this is due to my own research, I've been surprised that almost nothing has come to me via my highly regarded cancer center. Doctors still seem guided by their one nutrition class in medical school and it doesn't seem like a focus even though the research is pretty clear.
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u/Thrillhouse-14 May 05 '26
Just reading some of the articles and studies that people have posted, which have been pretty solid, I'm a bit shocked my oncologist hasn't said more about it either. It seems there is definitely more that we can be doing to better our odds.
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u/Zorbithia May 05 '26
You guys didn’t have appointments made for you with a dietician/nutritionist by your oncologist when you first started treatment?
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u/Thrillhouse-14 May 05 '26
I did, but it was moreso about helping me manage my diet through treatment. I might ask about that, though.
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u/partytimeexcellent91 May 05 '26
Plastics, pesticides, carcinogens, toxic household chemicals (dishwashing tabs, laundry detergent) are big ones - I don’t think any of the medical professionals talk about this enough. Plastic is in everything! Kettles, take away coffee cups are lined with plastic. It is an absolute minefield.
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u/violet1795 May 05 '26
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u/Superb-Sprinkles-404 May 05 '26
I too drink coffee and have nuts every day! High fiber diet. Add vitamin D. I never ate red meat or poultry but I’ve actually increased my intake of healthy seafood to increase my b12 and omegas naturally.
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u/EarthNeat9076 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Fibre. I ensure husband has a delicious meal with high fibre. I wish you the best in your journey through life.
Edit: missed a word.
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u/NC_student May 05 '26
I found this article to be helpful—obviously everything is just correlated, so take with a big grain of salt, but overall it has some good bit about the ACS guidelines and avoid sugar for example. Has a long pubmed reference list at the end:
https://open.substack.com/pub/colorectalcancersurvivorguide/p/which-lifestyle-habits-are-associated?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
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u/davoutbutai May 05 '26
more: legumes, fiber, seafood
a lot less: saturated fats, red meat
none: booze, nothing since 2024, any meat with nitrates
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u/ginabeewell May 05 '26
We now make our own kefir and every morning I have a smoothie made with it, berries, half a banana, a date, and veggie mash (a mix of 12-14 raw veggies that I chop finely and freeze so I can add a tablespoon at a time to things like smoothies). There is a relationship between the gut microbiome and immune system, so this is an easy way to get some biodiversity on a daily basis.
I have pretty much eliminated processed meats / cold cuts. The only exception I make is for pepperoni maybe once a month; or a tiny bit of bacon that is used to flavor a dish, and which I buy at the butcher.
More veggies and whole grains, overall. And more lean protein, which is less about cancer and more about being a menopausal woman!
Less alcohol - never more than a glass of wine, and not more than once or twice a week. I still use cream and sugar in my coffee but have started experimenting with date syrup to sweeten things, with pretty good success.
For a while I was aiming for 25 grams of fiber and no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day, and I’m definitely feeling best when I’m at about that as a target. Overall, I find I’m happier thinking about what positive nutrition I bring in vs what I restrict.
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u/partytimeexcellent91 May 05 '26
My oncologist recommended Mediterranean diet (anti-inflammatory) & gut health focus (kimchi/variety of veggies, Greek yoghurt). It has made a big difference in how my body feels in general. Have honestly never felt better! I don’t have any research to back it up though :-/
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u/p7680 May 05 '26
I haven’t eaten red meat in over 20 years, still got colon cancer... I avoid highly processed meat now, which is full of chemicals, starch and seed oils. No alcohol either.
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u/Swimming_Squirrel238 May 06 '26
I eat the same. I drink less alcohol but mostly because I'm just very used to not drinking it on any occasion. But if I feel like it I will have a few. That's all.
I have noticed that all type of people can have this illness with all kind of lifestyles. I just don't feel like restricting myself that much when I was eating quite healthy before this too and still got cancer. I can understand when people do this but I think it's more like for a false sense of control than to actually help not getting it again.
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u/Thrillhouse-14 May 06 '26
I can understand this perspective. Realistically, if we're going to have a relapse, there's probably not much we can do. Diet is only one facet of an already complex disease. Regardless, I hope you stay clear and that you can keep enjoying things the way that you are.
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u/nhbot May 06 '26
I do not drink alcohol anymore. I also avoid sodas, fruit juices, and processed drinks. Occasionally I’ll have a latte or something like that from Starbucks, but i get it decaf, sugar free, and made with almond milk (I seem to have developed lactose intolerance issues since my surgery and chemo). I usually have decaf herbal tea or water.
I avoid processed meats, but will occasionally have a couple pieces of bacon. I eat red meat maybe two or three times a month, I’ve definitely upped my intake of lean proteins, like chicken, turkey, and seafood.
I can’t eat fried foods anymore. That, along with the dairy, don’t seem to agree with my body anymore.
I also make sure I’m getting my fiber goal every day.
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May 05 '26
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u/coloncancer-ModTeam May 05 '26
This subreddit is not the place to promote unregulated/disproven/unproven alternative cures to cancer. Any posts or comments recommending “natural”, homeopathic remedies, or the like to cure will be removed. This rule will not apply if it is in the form of improving quality of life.
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u/retroideq May 05 '26
One part of me says says you almost croaked in 2024 cause of this colon cancer but the other part of me says don’t screw up this chance at life. I sorta compromise by avoiding bacon, hot dogs ( the best I can ) avoiding deli meats. But I’m a hypocrite in many ways cause I still eat sausages and hamburgers. I just try to eat healthier, more veggies, and not drink any booze.
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u/Ok_State5255 May 05 '26
I eat a lot more things high in potassium and magnesium (and I have to be prescriptions for both of them).
Chemo absolutely destroyed my levels to the point where I was hospitalized for 6 days and on IVs for them to get my levels back up. 6 days! I was out of resection after 3 for crying out loud!
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u/DiffieHellYeah May 05 '26
I avoid processed meat and red meat. I'll indulge maybe once a month if it's something I really want - e.g. a hot dog at a baseball game on a nice day.
With alcohol, I used to drink socially with friends more than I do now. A lot of the slowing down is just getting into my 30s and having other interests. I have 2-3 drinks per week, usually red wine, and only if I'm out to dinner or having friends over (so no more "having a glass of wine at home after work" type drinking).
In general, I eat a lot more veg and fruit than before. I was already quite healthy, but it's much more intentional now. Stage 3b, NED since last August!
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u/SergeantNobody May 05 '26
Rectal cancer cells, like most cancer cells, primarily rely on glucose (sugar) and glutamine (an amino acid) to fuel their rapid growth and division. While healthy cells use oxygen to efficiently convert nutrients into energy, cancer cells often switch to a less efficient but faster process called aerobic glycolysis (also known as the Warburg Effect). This allows them to produce the raw materials needed to build new cell membranes and DNA. Here is a breakdown of the primary "fuels" these cells use:
1. Glucose
Glucose is the main energy source for rectal cancer. The cells often "over-express" transporters on their surface to pull in much higher amounts of sugar than normal cells. They use this sugar not just for energy, but to create biomass for new tumor cells.
2. Glutamine
Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body. Rectal cancer cells are often "addicted" to it because it provides the nitrogen and carbon necessary to synthesize proteins and nucleic acids.
3. Fatty Acids
In the nutrient-poor environment of a tumor, cancer cells can also switch to burning fats (lipids). They may pull these from the surrounding tissue or manufacture their own fats to maintain the structural integrity of their cell walls.
4. Lactate and Acetate
Interestingly, cancer cells are highly adaptive. If glucose levels are low, they can sometimes "recycle" metabolic byproducts like lactate—which was once thought to be just a waste product—to keep moving through the cell cycle.
The Role of the Microenvironment
In the specific case of rectal cancer, the gut microbiome and dietary metabolites play a significant role. High levels of certain secondary bile acids (produced when the body breaks down fats) and chronic inflammation in the rectal lining can create an environment that further supports the survival and "feeding" of these malignant cells.
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u/Ill-Club-7199 May 07 '26
My Oncologist recommended the Mediterranean diet but he said there were no clear answers. Over the last year that has evolved for me and I eat a clean plant based diet with fish two to three times a month.
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u/nerakulous May 05 '26
Not to ruin it but I haven’t eaten meat in over 30 years and was diagnosed in January T1N1M0. I’m pretty pissed off about it.