'Patient wellbeing is the motivation'
 "When someone with colorectal cancer asks, 'What can I do to increase my chances of survival', my answer is no longer based on a gut feeling. We can give them real, practical, evidence-based advice about nutrition and lifestyle" – Ellen Kampman, Professor in Nutrition and Disease at Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
"My team have been working on the COLON study since 2010 – one of the first and largest cancer studies of its kind. We concentrate on solutions via lifestyle and nutrition for the cancer patient who is undergoing treatment or the survivor who is trying to find a new way to live. We've gathered data from over 2,000 colorectal cancer patients, taking blood samples and lifestyle questionnaires.
"Although we know much about the prevention of cancer, the reason for this huge study was to provide better advice for survivors. With the data we're gathering from patients, we understand more about their quality of life and any recurrence of cancer. We know whether they're physically active, we can see what their diet consists of, we know what medications they're taking, and the treatment they're undergoing. It's early stages but we're beginning to see whether living healthily is having a positive effect on them after their cancer diagnosis. Patient wellbeing is the motivation for the study.
"We keep up contact with study participants through newsletters, questionnaires and discussion groups, but we're aiming for two-way communication – we want participants to contact us for advice on nutrition and lifestyle. If they know they're not alone, if they can see they're part of a larger group, that there are many others in the same boat – that must be a good thing."
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What's cooking?
 Have you tried any recipes in our Ryan Riley cookbook? They've all been created to help you enjoy food again during cancer treatment. And our Eat Well During Cancer booklet has more recipes, plus tips on how to deal with common side-effects. Both booklets are free.
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Wallet friendly
 Living with cancer can sometimes mean living with a reduced income – and that's hard. We have a few tips on how to keep food affordable. As always, we'd love to hear from you about any of our recipes or advice.
With best wishes,
Maxine at World Cancer Research Fund
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