Cancer survivors may keep risky lifestyles

Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Credit: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Surviving cancer may do little to change people's lifestyles. A newly published study found cancer survivors show similarly risky behavior compared to those who've never had the disease.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma compared more than 45,000 cancer survivors against over 400,000 participants who had no cancer history.

>> Read more trending stories

Skin cancer was the only form of the disease excluded from the study.

In terms of weight and diet, roughly two-thirds of both survivors and those in the control group were overweight or obese. Around 80 percent of both groups didn't get the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables.

Smoking rates among male cancer survivors were lower, but women who'd survived the disease were more likely to smoke compared to women who had no cancer history.

Male cancer survivors were less likely to drink heavily compared to their gender's control group, but cancer had little effect on how much women drank.

And physical inactivity was significantly higher for cancer survivors, regardless of gender.

All the lifestyle choices we mentioned are among the American Cancer Society's recommendations for cancer survivors.

An estimated 14.5 million cancer survivors are in the U.S., and that number is expected to increase.

About the Author