Association of Mediterranean Diet Adherence with Disease Progression Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors and Overall Survival in Gastric Cancer Patients

Eleni Pavlidou; Sousana K. Papadopoulou; Maria Tolia; Maria Mentzelou; Nikolaos Tsoukalas; Olga Alexatou; Theodora Tsiouda; Gerasimos Tsourouflis; Evmorfia Psara; Vasileios Bikos; Nikolaos Kavantzas; Ioly Kotta-Loizou; Antonios Dakanalis; Theofanis Vorvolakos; Constantinos Giaginis

doi:10.3390/medsci11040074

Medical Sciences (Nov 2023)

Association of Mediterranean Diet Adherence with Disease Progression Characteristics, Lifestyle Factors and Overall Survival in Gastric Cancer Patients

Eleni Pavlidou,
Sousana K. Papadopoulou,
Maria Tolia,
Maria Mentzelou,
Nikolaos Tsoukalas,
Olga Alexatou,
Theodora Tsiouda,
Gerasimos Tsourouflis,
Evmorfia Psara,
Vasileios Bikos,
Nikolaos Kavantzas,
Ioly Kotta-Loizou,
Antonios Dakanalis,
Theofanis Vorvolakos,
Constantinos Giaginis

Affiliations

Eleni Pavlidou: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece
Sousana K. Papadopoulou: Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece
Maria Tolia: Department of Radiotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Maria Mentzelou: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece
Nikolaos Tsoukalas: Department of Oncology, 401 General Army Hospital of Athens, 401 Geniko Stratiotiko Nosokomeio, 11525 Athens, Greece
Olga Alexatou: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece
Theodora Tsiouda: Oncology Department, “Theageneio” Anticancer Hospital, 54639 Thessaloniki, Greece
Gerasimos Tsourouflis: Second Department of Propedeutic Surgery, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
Evmorfia Psara: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece
Vasileios Bikos: Oncology Department, “Theageneio” Anticancer Hospital, 54639 Thessaloniki, Greece
Nikolaos Kavantzas: First Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens General Hospital “Laikon”, 11527 Athens, Greece
Ioly Kotta-Loizou: Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
Antonios Dakanalis: Department of Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori, 20900 Monza, Italy
Theofanis Vorvolakos: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, 68100 Alexandroupolis, Greece
Constantinos Giaginis: Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of the Environment, University of the Aegean, 81400 Lemnos, Greece

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/medsci11040074
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 4
p. 74

Abstract

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Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) exerts a protective effect against cancer development and progression; however, the evaluation of its impact on gastric cancer still remains quite scarce. The present study aims to evaluate the association of MD adherence during the lifespan with disease progression characteristics, lifestyle factors and overall survival in gastric carcinoma patients. Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study conducted on 186 gastric cancer patients followed up for a median time interval of 57 months or until death due to cancer disease. Tumor histopathological characteristics were retrieved from patients’ medical records, while validated questionnaires assessing, immediately after the time of diagnosis, health-related quality of life, physical activity levels, sleep quality, depression, anxiety and MD adherence during the lifespan were used. Results: Higher MD adherence during the lifespan was significantly associated with younger patients (p = 0.0106), regular smoking (p p p = 0.0111), high tumor histopathological grade (p p p p p p = 0.0003) and anxiety (p = 0.0006) compared to those with reduced MD adherence. In multiple regression analysis, elevated MD compliance during the lifespan was independently correlated with longer overall patient survival after adjustment for several confounders (Cox regression analysis, p = 0.0001). Conclusions: Higher MD adherence during the lifespan was associated with less advanced tumor histopathology characteristics and favorable mental and physical lifestyle factors. Moreover, higher MD adherence during the lifespan was also independently correlated with longer overall survival in gastric carcinoma patients. Thus, adopting a healthy dietary pattern like the MD during the lifespan may act as a preventive agent in combination with a healthy lifestyle against gastric cancer development and progression.

Published in Medical Sciences

ISSN: 2076-3271 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/medsci

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