The Impact of Exercise and Diet on Ovarian Cancer Mortality

Ovarian cancer is the most aggressive gynecologic malignancy, with reported 5-year survival rates approaching 32%. Despite the incremental benefits associated with novel therapies, lifestyle improvements (<i>e.g.</i>, nutrition, exercise) potentially further bolster ovarian cancer patient outcomes and address an unmet clinical need. In the current review, we evaluated several available studies involving the impact of nutritional enhancement and exercise adoption on ovarian cancer survival. There is purported evidence to support the inclusion of exercise and improved nutrition in bolstering ovarian cancer survival outcomes. However, there are also countervailing data that confound the precise, independent value of these lifestyle changes on ovarian cancer survival, not to mention the specific circumstances under which ovarian cancer patients may derive a benefit. Additional research should evaluate the presumed ovarian cancer survival benefits from nutrition and exercise <i>via</i> randomized controlled trials.