DietCompLyf Biobank

Researchers: Prof Paul Skipp, Dr Anthony Leathem and Dr Miriam Dwek

Location: University of Southampton

Dates:  From 2026     Status: In Progress

Research Theme: Detection, Therapies

Aims

Our DietCompLyf (DCL) study, completed at the University of Westminster, London, aimed to explore the effects of diet and lifestyle on breast cancer recurrence and patient survival. Understanding what diet & lifestyle choices affect the risk of breast cancer occurrence, and what risk factors can be identified early to assist treatment selection to enable the best outcomes for patients. These are just two questions we hope to answer during our latest project ABC Discover 2.

Advancing breast cancer research through molecular discovery is the focus of this 5-year project at the University of Southampton. The latest ‘Omics’ techniques will be applied to patient samples in the biobank to reveal key insights on how breast cancer spreads. This will enable the researchers to better understand why some cancers become metastatic and identify risk ‘biomarkers’ that can indicate recurrence earlier, revolutionising treatments and improving outcomes for breast cancer patients.

Background

The DietCompLyf study was supported by the National Cancer Research Network and enrolled 3,390 breast cancer patients from 56 centres across the UK. Each patient participated from one year post-diagnosis of primary breast cancer and was on active follow-up for 5 years. Data collected annually included blood and urine samples, which formed the DietCompLyf Biobank, and detailed lifestyle data including 7-day food diaries, food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), lifestyle and general health questionnaires.

Biomarkers are biological molecules that alter during disease conditions, often months or years in advance of clinical symptoms becoming noticeable. The earlier these biomarkers are detected, the quicker individuals at risk can be identified, monitored or receive treatment. Secondary spread breast cancer is currently very difficult to detect early due to the variation in symptoms that occur depending on where secondary tumours have formed. Detecting recurrence early, when treatments are much more effective, will improve patient survival.

Potential benefit for patients

With secondary spread breast cancer being so difficult to detect our biobank aims to help identify biomarkers that can be developed for new diagnostic tests for the clinic, or even home monitoring kits that could help reduce patient anxiety about cancer recurrence. Earlier detection and faster treatment administration will help improve patient survival.