Lifestyle Medicine for Cancer Patients and Survivors
Lifestyle Medicine focuses on how everyday habits—such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection—can support health, recovery, and long-term wellbeing. This page is not a clinical service offering, and I am not a Lifestyle Medicine practitioner. Instead, it is a curated resource to help cancer patients and survivors access credible information on lifestyle factors that may support quality of life and reduce the risk of recurrence.
In many healthcare systems, doctors are highly trained to diagnose and treat disease, but often have limited time or training to guide patients in building sustainable lifestyle habits. This can leave a gap between medical treatment and everyday wellbeing. This page aims to help bridge that gap by providing accessible, evidence-informed resources that you can explore at your own pace.
While information is important, knowledge alone does not always lead to meaningful or sustained behaviour change. This is where my role becomes relevant. Through counselling-informed conversations, I support clients in applying these principles in ways that are realistic, personal, and sustainable—always in consultation with their treating doctor.
At the same time, lifestyle changes should not happen in isolation. Your treating doctor understands your medical history, treatments, and current condition, and is best placed to advise on what is safe and appropriate for you. For this reason, any changes you consider should be discussed with your doctor so that your lifestyle choices and medical care can work together as part of a coordinated health plan.
Many people find it helpful to talk through how lifestyle changes might realistically fit into their treatment or recovery, especially when energy levels, emotions, and medical demands are already high.
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On this page
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Can Lifestyle Changes Reduce the Risk of Cancer Recurrence?
Lifestyle Factors That Influence Cancer Treatment, Recovery and lower the risk of recurrence
Behaviour Change and Lifestyle Change During and After Cancer Treatment
Discuss Lifestyle Changes With Your Doctor
Trusted Lifestyle Medicine Resources
Latest Research and Resources on Lifestyle Medicine and Cancer
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​​​Below, you’ll find more detail about different aspects of lifestyle medicine, followed by carefully selected resources you can explore.
What is Lifestyle Medicine?
Lifestyle Medicine is an approach to healthcare that focuses on how everyday habits influence health, recovery, and long-term wellbeing. It emphasises areas such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social connection to support the body and mind, particularly in the context of chronic or serious illness.
Rather than replacing medical treatment, Lifestyle Medicine is used alongside it. The aim is to improve quality of life, support recovery, and, where possible, reduce the risk of disease progression or recurrence by helping people make and sustain healthier lifestyle choices. (Sources: the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine)
When the future feels uncertain after a cancer diagnosis or during recovery, some people find it reassuring to talk through how they can support their health in practical, realistic ways going forward.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
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Can Lifestyle Changes Reduce the Risk of Cancer Recurrence?
Many cancer survivors wonder whether lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of recurrence. While no lifestyle approach can guarantee that cancer will not return, research increasingly shows that factors such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and social support can play a meaningful role in overall health and resilience. Lifestyle medicine focuses on strengthening these areas in ways that support recovery and long-term wellbeing alongside medical care.
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Lifestyle Factors That Influence Cancer Treatment, Recovery and lower the risk of recurrence
Nutrition
These are also called the 5 Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine
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The American Cancer Society provides excellent, evidence based guidance on nutrition during and after cancer treatment.
This includes the preparation of food during treatment, while being mindful of food safety, dealing with eating problems caused by treatment and healthy living after treatment.
After recovery you might be interested to do the The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)'s Culinary Medicine Program for FREE.​
Physical Activity
There are various benefits from physical activity for the cancer journey: increase in energy, improvement in mood, part of a mindfulness practice, strengthening the immune system and providing a medium for social interaction. The emphasis is on "physical activity" and not exercise, because at some stages of the cancer journey, the capacity to exercise is limited or even impossible. Then basic everyday activities, such as brushing teeth or going to the toilet, may become a goal and will have benefits over no physical activity.
Read the American Cancer Society 's guide to exercising at each stage of your cancer journey
Sleep
Sleep is crucial for total wellbeing - i.e. physical, emotional, social, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Consequently playing a big part in wellbeing during cancer treatment, recovery and lowering the risk of cancer recurrences. Very often, when sleep problems are addressed, so many other aspects fall in place without additional intervention.
Many cases of sleep problems in cancer survivors are caused by the fear of the cancer returning. In this regard, palliative care counselling can play an important role - NO, Palliative Care is NOT the same as terminal care! Cancer survivors can be part of, and benefit a lot, from the overarching palliative care road, with a strong emphasis on wellbeing in the here and now.
Stress Management
Stress can significantly affect people undergoing cancer treatment or living in remission, both physically and psychologically. Elevated stress levels are associated with increased fatigue, disrupted sleep, reduced pain tolerance, and difficulties with concentration and emotional regulation. Physiologically, chronic stress may influence immune functioning and inflammatory processes, which can complicate recovery and overall resilience. Many patients also experience heightened anxiety about recurrence, uncertainty about the future, and a reduced sense of control. Within a lifestyle medicine approach, stress management is an important supportive component of care, with strategies such as relaxation techniques, breathing practices, and supportive conversations helping to regulate the stress response, improve sleep, and enhance emotional stability—contributing to more consistent day-to-day wellbeing.
Sources:
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National Cancer Institute – Stress and Cancer
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American Cancer Society – Emotional, Mental Health, and Mood Changes
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National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health – Relaxation Techniques and Health
As accessed on 20 March 2026
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​Should you require more personalised help to reap some of these benefits, you are welcome to book a free telephonic or online 15 minute meeting to discuss your needs and expectations.​​​
Social connection
Social connection is increasingly recognised as a core pillar of health, not only emotionally but also physically. In a widely discussed reflection, Vivek Murthy highlights how loneliness has become a significant public health concern, with measurable effects on conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and overall mortality. From a lifestyle medicine perspective, meaningful human connection is not simply supportive—it is protective and restorative.
This article explores the health impact of loneliness and social connection, including how different levels of connection can influence both wellbeing and long-term health outcomes.
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Avoidance of Risky Substances
Reducing our exposure to toxic or harmful substances or behaviours is sometimes characterised as the ‘negative’ Lifestyle Medicine pillar. This probably stems from Lifestyle Medicine’s emphasis on eliminating these substances from our lives – or at least reducing their use. While the other Lifestyle Medicine pillars focus on doing something positive – eating healthily, being more active – this pillar is all about not doing something. (The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine)
To stop taking risky substances, there is no better time than, NOW!
Learn more about the effects of risky substances on general wellbeing from The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine.
Behaviour Change and Lifestyle Change During and After Cancer Treatment
Behaviour and lifestyle change during and after cancer treatment refers to the process of gradually adopting healthier habits—such as improved nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, and supportive social connection—to support recovery, wellbeing, and long-term health.
Understanding the five pillars of lifestyle medicine is only the first step in supporting behaviour and lifestyle change during and after cancer treatment. The more challenging part is translating this knowledge into daily life.
For many people, a cancer diagnosis arrives in the context of an already demanding life, and healthy lifestyle habits may not have been firmly established beforehand. Even under the best circumstances, meaningful lifestyle change can be difficult. During or after cancer treatment it can become even more challenging, especially when someone is coping with fatigue, anxiety, low mood, nausea, or discouragement.
Sustainable behaviour change often requires addressing deeper factors such as motivation, emotional barriers, identity rebuilding, and the development of realistic long-term habits.
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In my work I use counselling-informed conversations to help clients discover a lifestyle approach that genuinely fits their personality, life circumstances, health needs, strengths, and capabilities. If lifestyle changes are not personally meaningful and realistically aligned with someone’s life, they are unlikely to be sustained.
These conversations go beyond simply setting goals. They explore the underlying needs, values, and emotions connected to the desired outcomes. Over more than two decades of counselling in medical and community settings, I have often seen that sustainable lifestyle change becomes possible when it connects with a person’s deeper motivations, strengths, and real-life circumstances. By identifying and strengthening these deeper motivations, lifestyle changes become more personally meaningful and the likelihood of lasting, sustainable change is greatly increased.
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For some people, it can be helpful to briefly discuss their situation and explore whether this kind of lifestyle-focused support would fit their treatment or recovery journey.
Discuss Lifestyle Changes With Your Doctor
Lifestyle medicine principles are general guidelines. Your medical journey, however—including your diagnosis, treatment, recovery, and medication—is unique. Even positive lifestyle changes can influence other aspects of your health or interact with treatment. For this reason, it is always important to discuss significant lifestyle changes with your doctor before implementing them.
If your doctor has not provided guidance on lifestyle habits, you may find the following approach helpful when starting the conversation.
1. Prepare using reliable information
Use the trusted resources provided on this page to learn about lifestyle recommendations relevant to your situation. For example, consider whether the guidance applies to cancer treatment, recovery, or remission, and where relevant, to your specific type of cancer. Based on this information, draft a simple lifestyle plan that you can discuss with your doctor.
2. Schedule a dedicated appointment
Make an appointment specifically to discuss your plan. Bring your written lifestyle plan with you so that your doctor can review it clearly and systematically.
3. Explain your intention
Let your doctor know that you would like to support your health as much as possible alongside medical care. Explain that you have researched lifestyle habits using credible sources and would value their medical perspective on your plan.
4. Ask a focused question
A helpful way to keep the discussion practical is to ask your doctor whether there is any medical reason why you should not follow this lifestyle plan. This encourages the conversation to focus on potential risks, interactions with treatment or medication, or aspects that may need adjustment.
5. Adapt the plan if needed
If your doctor identifies concerns, ask how the plan could be adapted to make it safer or more appropriate for your medical situation.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine
The British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
The South African Lifestyle Medicine Association
The Cancer Association of South Africa
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Latest Research and Resources on Lifestyle Medicine and Cancer
This important press release from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine supports the notion that sustainable lifestyle change is not driven by knowledge alone, but by meaning, purpose, and connection. The full article is available on Sage Journals, published on 5 March 2026.
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This is where my skills, of counselling-informed conversations, tap into the client's meaning, purpose and forge connection.