In the United States, cancer is a leading cause of mortality, with inflammation playing a crucial role in cancer progression and prognosis. Diet, with its capacity to modulate inflammatory responses, represents a potentially modifiable risk factor in cancer outcomes.
This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 1999–2018) to investigate the association between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which reflects dietary-induced inflammation, and mortality among cancer survivors. A total of 3,011 participants diagnosed with cancer were included, with DII scores derived from dietary recall data. All-cause and cancer-related mortalities served as primary endpoints.
The study identified a significant linear positive correlation between higher DII scores and all-cause mortality among cancer survivors. Each unit increase in DII was associated with a 10% higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] per 1-unit increase, 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.15). Similarly, a unit increase in DII was associated with a 13% higher risk of cancer-related mortality (HR per 1-unit increase, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02–1.25). Kaplan–Meier analyses demonstrated higher all-cause mortality rates in individuals with elevated DII scores. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings.
Adoption of an anti-inflammatory diet, characterized by lower DII scores, may improve survival outcomes in cancer survivors. These results emphasize the critical role of dietary interventions in post-cancer care.