Access to nutritious food can be a matter of life or death for cancer survivors.
A new study published in JAMA Health Forum found that cancer survivors who experience food insecurity, limited or uncertain access to healthy food, have a 28% higher risk of death compared to those who are food secure. The research, led by the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, is the first to demonstrate a clear link between food insecurity and mortality among people with a history of cancer.
“Food matters in cancer care and outcomes,” said senior author Dr. Jaya Aysola, Associate Professor of Medicine and executive director of the Centers for Health Equity Advancement at Penn Medicine. “The results show that simple, integrated solutions can help prolong the lives of cancer survivors by helping put healthy food on their table.”
The study analyzed data from 5,603 adults age 40 and older who had reported a cancer diagnosis in the CDC’s 2011 and 2012 National Health Interview Surveys. Researchers tracked their mortality through 2019 using the National Death Index and adjusted for factors like age, sex, smoking history and other illnesses.
Among participants, 579 people (about 10%) reported experiencing food insecurity. Those who did had significantly higher all-cause mortality. The risk was even greater for individuals not enrolled in food assistance programs: a 42% increase in all-cause mortality and a 42% increase in cancer-specific mortality.
“Screening for food-insecurity in clinical practice, expanding food assistance program eligibility, and guiding people to resources may help reduce this apparent connection,” said study first author John Lin, a medical student and HEAL fellow at Penn.
Researchers urge health care providers and policymakers to treat food access as a critical component of cancer survivorship care — one with life-saving potential.
This work was supported by the University of Pennsylvania Health System through the Penn Medicine Center for Health Equity Advancement.