Consuming “drinks with sweeteners” increases the chances of survival of patients with stage III colon cancer, according to a new study.
In patients with advanced colon cancer who have a habit of consuming sugary drinks, drinking sodas with sweeteners may be associated with a better life prognosis. This surprising conclusion results froma search just published in the journal Plos One.
Studies had previously investigated the association between colon cancer and the consumption of sugary drinks, showing a reverse trend. The recurrence and mortality rates increase with excessive energy balances, themselves associated with risk factors such as sedentary lifestyle or diabetes. It can be considered that “drinks with sweeteners” are in fact all “diet drinks” on sale in the market. By definition, they do not contain natural sugar – it is replaced by a synthetic product – therefore are not caloric. If they are nevertheless more harmful to the body than water, they are still better than sugary drinks.
Decrease in recurrence and death rates by 23%
The researchers analyzed data from 1,018 patients with stage III colon cancer. Their diet was monitored during chemotherapy and six months afterwards. They were then followed for 7.3 years. During this period, 378 of 1,018 patients experienced a relapse or recurrence of their colon cancer. 265 died.
Result: Increased consumption of artificially sweetened beverages was associated with significant improvement in “recurrence-free survival” and “overall survival”. Replacing sugary drinks with a sweetener also lowered recurrence and death rates by 23%.
Third most common cancer in men
“Higher consumption of artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with a significant reduction in cancer recurrence and death in patients with stage III colon cancer,” the authors conclude. According to Dr. Brendan Guercio, first author of the study: “for patients with colon cancer, and who find it difficult to stop drinking sugary drinks, choosing sweeteners could prevent them from the negative effects of sugary drinks.”
The third most common cancer in humans, colorectal cancer is a tumor that develops from cells that line the inner lining of the colon and rectum. According to the recent INCa report, it affected 24,035 men and 20,837 women in 2017 and caused an estimated 17,684 deaths (9,294 men and 8,390 women). There is no identifiable cause for the occurrence of colorectal cancer. However, there are risk factors that can promote the development of cancer: age, family history, the presence of polyps, as well as two genetic diseases, “familial adenomatous polyposis” and “Lynch syndrome”.
Colorectal cancer is asymptomatic
In the first years of its development, colorectal cancer is asymptomatic, hence the need for get tested every 2 years from age 50. The presence of blood in the stool and digestive disorders can alert.
Depending on the stage of the cancer, several treatments may be offered: surgery alone in the event of a very localized lesion, surgical treatment with lymph node dissection and adjuvant chemotherapy when the cancer is invasive and reaches the lymph nodes, and finally surgery on the colon and organs. metastasized in the event of metastasis. This may be followed or preceded by chemotherapy and sometimes by targeted therapy.
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