The impact of Mediterranean diet on colorectal cancer recurrence following chemotherapy treatment: A systematic review

Abstract

Background
Previous research suggests that the Mediterranean diet (a diet high in fruits and vegetables, lean protein, legumes, whole grains, and olive oils) provides protective effects against colorectal cancer. However, there has been little research to determine how the Mediterranean diet could help prevent the recurrence of colorectal cancer following chemotherapy treatment.
Objective
This systematic review assesses the impact of the Mediterranean diet on the rate of recurrence following colorectal cancer treatment.
Methods
A systematic search on PubMed, UNE Library, and EMBASE was conducted to find all research studies assessing the Mediterranean diet and its effects on colorectal cancer and post-treatment effects. Article titles and abstracts were screened for relevance in addition to full article screening for eligibility and were quality rated based on ANDEAL criteria.
Results
Sixteen studies met the eligibility criteria and, as a result, were included. One study assessed lifestyle factors; three studies assessed the components of the Mediterranean diet and their effects on colorectal cancer; one study assessed the dietary inflammatory index and its impact on colorectal cancer; five studies assessed adherence to the Mediterranean diet; four studies assessed diet following cancer treatments; and two studies assessed long-term nutritional intervention on cancer recurrence. The results revealed that the Mediterranean diet has a positive impact on reducing the risk of colorectal cancer, with potential health benefits following treatment for colorectal cancer. Limitations in analyzing results include being a time-locked study, inability to access all articles on the topic, use of English-only articles, and limitation of search terms utilized.
Conclusions
While previous research reveals evidence that the Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, there is compelling data to suggest that adherence the Mediterranean diet, as a normal diet pattern following treatment for colorectal cancer, could reduce the rate of recurrence. Future research is needed to examine the effects of the Mediterranean diet following colorectal cancer treatment.