Project Moli-sani

Tumours, ultra-processed foods shorten survival

Irccs Neuromed study financed by the Airc Foundation: +59% cancer mortality among large consumers

by Francesca Cerati

16 February 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Key points

The study
It's not just about nutrients
Possible biological mechanisms
Patient information

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

High consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a significant increase in mortality among people who have already been diagnosed with cancer. This is the result of a study conducted by the Epidemiology and Prevention Unit of Irccs Neuromed in Pozzilli, with the support of the Airc Foundation for Cancer Research, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention of the American Association for Cancer Research.

According to data, among cancer patients who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods, there is a 48% increased risk of mortality from all causes and a 59% increased risk of mortality from oncological causes compared to those who limit their intake.

The study

The analysis is part of the Moli-sani project, started in 2005 and based at Irccs Neuromed, which involved over 24,000 adults resident in Molise. Among them, the researchers identified 802 participants (476 women and 326 men) who had already received a cancer diagnosis at the time of enrolment.

Eating habits were measured by means of the food frequency questionnaire of the Epic (European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition) study. Foods were classified according to the Nova system, which distinguishes foods into four groups according to the level and purpose of industrial processing.

Participants were divided into three categories based on daily consumption of ultra-processed foods and followed for almost 15 years. Statistical analyses were adjusted for several confounding factors: age, gender, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, medical history, tumour type and overall diet quality as assessed by adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

It's not just about nutrients

One of the most striking aspects that emerged from the study is that the association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and mortality persists even when general diet quality is taken into account.

'What people eat after a cancer diagnosis can influence survival,' explains Marialaura Bonaccio, first author of the article, 'but so far the focus has been on individual nutrients, not on the degree of industrial processing of food.

According to the researchers, substances used in industrial processes - such as additives, emulsifiers, flavourings and preservatives - can interfere with metabolic mechanisms, alter the intestinal microbiota and promote a chronic inflammatory state. This means that even a food with a similar calorie profile to a fresh product can have different biological effects depending on how it is processed.

The possible biological mechanisms

To investigate the mechanisms underlying the observed association, the team analysed inflammatory, metabolic and cardiovascular biomarkers. Two were particularly significant: indices of systemic inflammation and resting heart rate.

'Increased inflammation and resting heart rate may partly explain the link between increased consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased mortality,' notes Licia Iacoviello, head of the Epidemiology and Prevention Unit at the Neuromed and professor of Hygiene at the Lum University in Casamassima.

Patient indications

The message to the public, the researchers emphasise, is about the whole diet rather than the individual food. Reducing the consumption of ultra-processed products overall and favouring fresh, low-processed and home-prepared foods is the strategy most consistent with a long-term health perspective.

A practical indication can come from reading labels: products with more than five ingredients or containing even a single food additive are most likely to fall into the ultra-processed category.

The study thus adds an important piece to the scientific debate on the impact of industrial food processing, suggesting that, for cancer patients, it is not only 'what' is eaten that matters, but also 'how' that food was produced.