Mortality Increased With Ultraprocessed Food Consumption After Cancer Diagnosis

THURSDAY, Feb. 12, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Higher consumption of ultraprocessed food (UPF) after cancer diagnosis is associated with increased rates of all-cause and cancer mortality, regardless of diet quality, according to a study published online Feb. 4 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Marialaura Bonaccio, Ph.D., from IRCCS Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, and colleagues longitudinally analyzed 802 men and women recruited in the Moli-sani Study with a previous cancer diagnosis to examine the relationship between postdiagnostic UPF consumption and mortality. Data on food intake were obtained at baseline and assessed at an average of 8.4 years after diagnosis. Overall diet quality was assessed using the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS).

The researchers found that 281 deaths occurred during a median follow-up of 14.6 years. Multivariable (including MDS)-adjusted hazard ratios for higher UPF consumption (highest versus lowest tertiles) were 1.48 and 1.57 for all-cause and cancer mortality, respectively. The associations of UPF with all-cause mortality were attenuated by about 40 percent by inflammatory markers and resting heart rate levels taken together.

“The fact that the association between ultraprocessed foods and all-cause death persisted even after adjusting for overall diet quality suggests that the negative health effects are not explained solely by poor nutrient profiles, but that the level and nature of industrial food processing itself play an independent role in influencing long-term health outcomes,” Bonaccio said in a statement.

The enrollment phase of the Moli-sani study was partially supported by research grants from Pfizer Foundation.

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