title: Cancer Survivor Study (CASUS) on colorectal patients: longitudinal study on physical activity, fitness, nutrition, and its influences on quality of life, disease recurrence, and survival. Rationale and design.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence suggests that being physically active in combination with a healthy diet contributes to diminish colorectal cancer risk. However, if this is true for colorectal cancer primary prevention, the same is not clear for its recurrence after colorectal cancer treatments. Data on cancer survival are scarce, and there is a need for greater attention on these survivors' lifestyle behavior. This manuscript describes rationale and design of the Cancer Survival Study (CASUS) on colorectal patients, a longitudinal observational study with the aim of investigating how physical activity, physical fitness, and dietary intake are related with their quality of life, disease recurrence, and survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CASUS on colorectal patients is a longitudinal cohort study on colorectal survivors, aged 18 years or older, recruited 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Upon recruitment, patients fill in a battery of questionnaires about physical activity, dietary intake, and quality of life, donate blood samples, do physical fitness tests, and use an accelerometer during 7 days. Repeated analyses will be performed to assess changes over time in physical activity, physical fitness, dietary intake, and other factors in relation to recurrence and survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results will contribute to highlight the role of physical activity, physical fitness, and nutrition in the quality of life of colorectal cancer survivors, recurrence, and survival. This study will provide important information for policymakers on the potential benefits of future physical activity and nutritional interventions, which are inexpensive, as a way to improve general health of colorectal cancer survivors.
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Physical Activity Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa 91, 4200-450, Porto, Portugal. soaresmiranda@fade.up.pt.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5929-4731
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Soares-Miranda
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Physical Activity Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa 91, 4200-450, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peixoto
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro Correia
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Porto, Portugal.|EPIUnit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Department, National Institute of Public Health, Porto, Portugal.|EPIUnit, Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Paulo
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Physical Activity Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa 91, 4200-450, Porto, Portugal.|Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Research Center in Physical Activity Health and Leisure, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Plácido Costa 91, 4200-450, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar São João, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Macedo
mesh_terms: D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D003710:Demography; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D015444:Exercise; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000473:pathology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011788:Quality of Life; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: Cancer survival; Colorectal cancer; Diet; Exercise; Fitness