In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, researchers found that the combination of consuming five or more daily servings of vegetables-fruits, and accumulating 540+ metabolic equivalent tasks-min/wk (equivalent to walking 30 minutes 6 d/wk), was associated with a significant survival advantage. The approximate 50% reduction in risk associated with these healthy lifestyle behaviors was observed in both obese and nonobese women, although fewer obese women were physically active with a healthy dietary pattern (16% v 30%). Among those who adhered to this healthy lifestyle, there was no apparent effect of obesity on survival. The effect was stronger in women who had hormone receptor–positive cancers.

In summary, breast cancer survivors who consume a healthy diet and are physically active may increase their years of survival after diagnosis. Specifically, we have shown that those who reported eating a minimum of 5 VF servings daily and performing weekly PA equivalent to 30 minutes of walking at a moderate pace for 6 days a week had a higher 10-year survival rate than those who did not adhere to these lifestyle practices. The improved survival rate was observed in women who were obese as well as those who were not obese. Adhering to these two health behaviors reduced the probability of death in the follow-up period by 50%, whereas this effect was not seen if breast cancer survivors were adherent to only PA or VF dietary pattern.